


The Road to You

by justanotherfanaccount



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Haunted past, One Night Stand, Romance, Secrets, learning to let go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:47:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23024230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherfanaccount/pseuds/justanotherfanaccount
Summary: Tenten has a secret so horrific that she no longer feels she has a right to enjoy life. Her only solace lies in helping women learn how to protect themselves through her self-defence classes each week. Then, one day while stopping a would-be thief, she meets someone who changes her life forever. He makes her feel things she had never felt before-things she had never allowed herself to feel.Will Tenten's guilt keep her from accepting her growing feelings for him, or will she allow herself to finally let go of the past and accept that she has a right to her own happiness?
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji/Tenten
Comments: 7
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

“My purse! That man stole my purse!”

The scream echoed down the street, snapping Tenten out of her thoughts. She looked around for the source of the sound and spotted a large man barrelling towards her, his face set in a determined line as he sprinted away from the distressed lady.

Before she could even register the scene properly, Tenten sprung into action. She took a step to the side and waited until the man was passing her. Timing it perfectly, Tenten whipped her arm out in front of the assailant and clotheslined him. The man jerked backwards from the impact, a pained grunt escaping his mouth as he crashed to the concrete. 

Tenten stepped on his chest and bent down to pry the purse out of the man's hands, ignoring his profanities as he tried to push her boot off him.  
Tenten noticed blood seep onto the concrete by his head and she allowed a satisfied smirk to grace her lips. “You took a nasty hit to the head on your way down.” She told him. “Serves you right for trying to steal from a defenceless woman.”

“Get off me!” He writhed beneath her, finally managing to push her foot away. The would-be thief stumbled to his feet and growled, eyes menacing. He lunged for her, but Tenten wasn't worried. She easily sidestepped him before kicking at his legs, toppling him once more.

“You should probably quit before you embarrass yourself in front of all these people.” The pair had attracted quite a crowd, many of the onlookers filming the encounter on their phones.

A police officer jogged towards them, having heard the commotion. “What's the problem here?” He asked, taking in the scene. The man was lying face down, Tenten’s boot pressed against his back once again.

Tenten sent the officer a cheery smile. “Good morning, officer. This man tried to steal a lady's purse. As you can see, he wasn't successful.”

The policeman was clearly surprised, but he bent down to handcuff the thief behind his back. “I appreciate your help, ma'am.” He acknowledged with a nod. “I'll be taking him downtown for questioning. I'll need yourself and the lady to come as well, though, if you don't mind?”

“Of course. I'll hand this back to her and let her know.”

Tenten found the woman halfway down the street, where she had first been attacked. The lady was shaking, so Tenten helped her onto a bench before kneeling in front of her with a reassuring smile.

“A police officer is taking the man into custody. You'll need to go downtown too, to make a statement. Are you up for it?” Tenten's voice was warm, her tone kind as she spoke to the distressed woman.

“Y-yes, I will be fine.” The lady took a hold of Tenten's hands and smiled. “That was very brave of you, what you just did. Thank you.”

“It was nothing.” Tenten gave the lady's hands a reassuring squeeze. “I'm glad you weren't hurt. Here,” she handed the lady her purse and helped her stand. “We can go along with the officer, if you would like-”

Tenten cut herself off, distracted by the rapid sound of a camera shutter nearby. She turned her head and her eyes fell on a camera, aimed directly at her. The person behind the device didn't seem fazed that they were caught red handed; instead using the opportunity to take another photo of her.

“Will you be okay going with the officer alone?” She asked, turning once again to the woman. “It seems I've got something to do before I head to the station.”

The lady seemed confused, but she nodded. “Of course. Thank you again for your help.”

Tenten's smile was brief before she turned away, already intent on her next task. “Don't mention it. I'm always happy to help.”

She left the woman then, turning back around to where the person was still standing, camera pointed at her. She glowered down the barrel of the camera, her hands balled into fists as she stalked towards the individual.

 _I'm going to smash that expensive looking camera right into your face._  
.  
.  
.  
She hadn’t realized just how tall the person was, until she was standing directly in front of him. Tenten wasn't short by any means, but still, this man stood another half a head above her, forcing her to have to look up to catch the hidden eye behind the lens.

She did so with a glare, using the full force of her don't-mess-with-me persona she normally reserved for scumbags like the purse thief. “What do you think you're doing?” She propped her hands on her hips, staring the taller man down. He finally removed the camera from his face and Tenten had to stifle a gasp.

The man was gorgeous. Tenten wasn't normally one to swoon over members of the opposite sex, but there was no denying the attraction she felt as he looked at her for the first time, face unobscured by his camera.

His long, dark brown—practically black—hair was tied in a loose ponytail behind his back, a complete contrast to his light, lavender coloured eyes. A slow smirk spread across his lips at her perusal, but it wasn't until he arched an eyebrow that Tenten snapped out of her musings.

“I'm sorry, was I disturbing you?” His voice was rich, like chocolate, and just as addicting. Tenten realized that if she wasn't careful, she could be in a lot of trouble very quickly because of this man.

Tenten shook her head, dispelling her wandering thoughts, and glared at him again. “Yes actually, you were. I don't appreciate my photo being taken without my consent.”

“That's a shame, because I enjoy photographing beauty.” His smirk was still in place, but his eyes were serious. Tenten’s face reddened, both at the man’s words and the intense look in his eyes.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, the man turned on his heel and walked away. She followed, annoyed at his sudden departure. “Excuse me, I'm not finished talking to you.” She hurried to catch up him, having to pump her legs to match his long, fluid strides. “I'd appreciate it if you would delete those photos.” The man continued to ignore her, turning a corner and prompting her to follow. “Hey, I'm talking to you!”

The man stopped suddenly, taking Tenten off guard, and she ran into him with a soft _oof_. She hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings, and she now found herself in a quiet alleyway, far from the busy main street they had started on.

The man turned to her, his eyes glinting darkly and Tenten suddenly felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. He stalked towards her, his steps slow and measured, as if he had all the time in the world. Tenten backed away from him until her back hit the wall. “Don't even think about trying anything. I'm a black belt in both Taekwondo and Aikido.”

His intense gaze burned into Tenten, igniting a fire deep within her that she didn't fully understand. His arms came up to rest against the wall by her head and he leaned in close, his lips mere inches from hers.

“Feel free to stop me, if you want.” He barely gave her time to reply before his mouth was on hers, hungry and hot and demanding.

Tenten's eyes widened in shock, a gasp escaping her lips and the man used this to his advantage by slipping his tongue into her mouth. His tongue found hers and caressed it, tempting her to play with him.

Every instinct she had to push him away fled, and Tenten pushed against his tongue with her own, a string having snapped somewhere inside her and causing her to lose control.

The man let out a satisfied groan, as if he had known all along she wouldn't resist him. _Cocky bastard_. She thought to herself before pushing all other rational thoughts to the back of her mind. His hands slid to her neck, bringing her lips closer, before they trailed down her sides, skimming her body until they rested against her hips. Tenten responded in kind by wrapping her arms around his neck, her passion igniting for this man she didn't even know.

His lips left hers and made their way down her jaw until they found her neck, where he then proceeded to suck and nibble the skin there. Tenten moaned when he found a particular sensitive spot and he bit down on it, smirking against her skin as he did so.

Tenten's arms tightened around his neck and she couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips from his ministrations. He made his way back to her lips and kissed her again. He tasted like mint, with just a hint of cinnamon, and Tenten realized she was very quickly becoming addicted to it.

Just as suddenly as he had started, the man stopped, disentangling her arms from his neck and taking a step back. His eyes had darkened, his breathing laboured as he sent her a predatory grin. “If you want to continue this later, I will be at the Hatake’s Lightening Bar from seven o’clock tonight. Feel free to come find me.”

And with that, the man turned and walked away, leaving a very confused and very flustered Tenten behind.


	2. Chapter 2

The afternoon passed quickly for Tenten, affording her the opportunity to temporarily forget the incident with the mysterious man—as well as his parting proposal. She made her way down to the local station and reported her side of the story to the officer, which ended up taking longer than she would have liked. The thief yelled profanities at her the whole time, scaring the poor lady beside her, and the officer finally snapped, ordering one of his workmates to take the man to a cell. 

Tenten soaked in a hot, calming bath after returning home in an attempt to soothe her tired muscles. She wanted to relax after her long day and decided she wouldn’t leave until the bath had turned cold. Her eyes fluttered closed and she rested her head against the edge of the tub, allowing sleep to overtake her.

_Frantic, passionate kisses shared between two strangers._

_Heavy breathing, hands clutching at long black hair._

_Bodies pressed together against the wall of an alley, fighting to get close closer._

_Hatake’s Lightening Bar at seven o’clock._

_Hatake’s Lightening Bar._

_Hatake’s Lightening Bar._

_Hatake’s Lightening Bar._

Tenten woke with a start, her body tingling from the remnants of her dream. She brought her hands up to cover her cheeks, feeling the heat that radiated off them. Never in her life had she had a dream like that before, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Slowly, ignoring the heat that was pooling in her belly, Tenten climbed out of the lukewarm bath and wrapped herself in a towel. She had been preoccupied for most of the day, but now that she was at home, she remembered that she hadn’t been successful in ordering the camera-wielding man into deleting her photos. He had said he would be at Hatake’s Lighting Bar tonight. Tenten had no idea where that was, but she could Google it. She had to make sure he deleted her photos for good.  
.  
.  
.  
As soon as Tenten stepped into the bar, she knew she had made a mistake. She really shouldn’t have come here—not after their last encounter. He had been the rudest, most arrogant man she had ever met. Her reason for coming here suddenly felt like a lame excuse, and she wanted to turn and hightail it back to safety before it was too late.

“Look who it is.” The voice was eloquent, as if the owner had been brought up in high society. But the smirk accompanying it was wicked, and Tenten flushed instantly, her toes curling at the sight of him. “I didn't think you would actually turn up.”

Tenten glared at him, ignoring how his lavender eyes twinkled in amusement. “I wasn't finished giving you a piece of my mind earlier. You can't just walk off when I'm in the middle of talking to you!”

“Oh?” His eyebrow raised, that insufferable smirk widening as he took a step closer to her. “I thought you had finished talking. It seemed as though you were quite out of breath when I left you.”

A blush as dark as crimson covered her face at the memory. “T-that's because you kissed me! I didn't give you permission to do that.” Which was another reason why Tenten was here. Not only did she need to make sure he deleted her photos, she also had to scold him for stealing a kiss—lots of kisses, actually. She _definitely_ wasn’t here for more of his intoxicating lips.

“I think you quite enjoyed it, going by how you responded.” The man was directly in front of her, barely a breath between them. When had he gotten so close?

“I-I did not!” Tenten tried to step away from him, but it seemed he had her cornered. Her back hit the wall behind her and his hands instantly found a place against it either side of her head.

“There is no need to hold back. You can be honest with me.” His lips grazed her ear as he whispered, before finding that sensitive spot on her neck he had discovered earlier. He sucked on it, enticing a moan from the flustered woman.

Be honest? Tenten hadn't been honest with herself for a very long time now; wasn't even sure she knew _how_ to be honest anymore. But she realized, with a sense of clarity she hadn't felt in years, that there was one thing she could be honest about, and she wanted to pursue it—no matter where it led her.

“I… I enjoyed it.” Her voice was breathless, barely a whisper, and she didn't think she had ever been this embarrassed before in her life.

The man—she hadn't even learnt his name yet, she realized suddenly—removed himself from her neck and caught her eyes, a slow grin spreading across his features.

Her flush deepened at his dark expression. “I at least need to know your name first.”

“Neji.” His voice was sultry, and he stared at her, a predatory glint shining in his eyes. His lips moved back to her ear, nibbling the lobe before whispering, “now tell me; what do you want?”

Tenten’s breath hitched, her body stilling at his words. She had never done anything like this before, but there was no denying that she wanted him. Wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. It took all the courage she had to muster up the one word she was dying to say. “You.”

As if that was what he had been waiting for, Neji snaked his arms around Tenten's waist and pulled her body flush against his. “That can be arranged.” He murmured, catching her lips in a scorching kiss.

It was as if they had known each other for years. The way their bodies melded together; the way they kissed each other with a passion only known by the most intimate of lovers left Tenten breathless in a matter of minutes. Her body was on fire and she wanted to stay there forever, burning with him.

Neji’s hands slid to the underside of her bottom and he lifted her effortlessly, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. She did so with a little hesitation, and he murmured “good girl,” against her ear before preceding to nibble at the sensitive lobe. Neji chuckled against her skin when he felt her melt into him, and he pressed a kiss to her neck. “Let’s take this upstairs, shall we?” His whisper caused a pleasant tingle to travel down her spine and she tightened her legs around him instinctively. Tenten didn’t even have time to voice a reply before he started moving, his lips latching back onto hers as he made his way through the bar.

Tenten could hear catcalls from several patrons, but she was much too occupied to care about what the two of them might look like to others. It was only when someone shouted: “get a room!” and someone else replied: “I think that’s what they’re doing.” that Tenten finally realized what was happening. Her face flushed crimson and she buried her head in the crook of Neji’s neck, hiding herself from the onlookers.

He chuckled at her response. “Just ignore them.”

How could she, when she knew that they knew exactly what the two of them were about to do. “Where are we going?” She murmured against his neck, trying her best to block out the constant barrage of whistles and catcalls.

“My place. I rent a room upstairs.” He must have felt her stiffen slightly in his arms, because he nuzzled the top of her head and whispered, “You still with me, Angel?”

“Yes, I’m still here.” Now that they had put a pause to their kissing, Tenten was starting to get nervous again. “You can put me down.” She said, attempting to extract her legs from around his waist.

He closed his hands around her ankles, locking them back in place. “I don’t think so. You’re starting to get shy on me again, and I don’t want you leaving the second I put you down.” He paused in his ascent to look her in the eyes. “Are you getting cold feet?”

Tenten shook her head, aware that her face was most likely the colour of a tomato as she held his eyes. “No, I’m not getting cold feet. It’s just a little embarrassing now that we’ve cooled off a bit.”

He shot her a satisfied smirk, his pale eyes twinkling. “Good. I would have been hard pressed to let you go.” He moved his face closer, until his lips were just touching hers, and Tenten’s heart rate spiked at the small contact. He flicked his tongue out and ran it along the seam of her lips. “It seems as though I will have to warm you up again.”

They didn’t speak much after that. Not when Neji slammed the door behind them, closing them off from the outside world. Not when he placed her gently upon the bed, leaning back to sweep his eyes over her clothed body, his eyes darkening at the sight before him. And not when he closed the gap between them for the final time that night, bodies joined in pure ecstasy. All Tenten could do was hold on to him and pray that she hadn’t just made the worst mistake of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Please review if you're enjoying the story so far.


	3. Chapter 3

Early morning rays streamed in through the window, waking Tenten from her slumber. She groaned and turned away from the light, snuggling backwards into the warmth of the blankets. As she slowly regained consciousness, the events of the previous day trickled into her memory like a stream before flooding her mind all at once. Her eyes popped open, blood rushing to her cheeks as the memories of the previous evening came back to her.  


Tenten couldn’t believe what she had done. She wasn’t the type of person that had one-night stands with people—hell, she hadn’t even had a boyfriend since college three years ago. What Tenten had done with Neji last night should never have happened. She needed to get out of here before Neji woke up.

Speaking of…

She realized with a start that the blanket she had snuggled closer to wasn’t a blanket at all; it was Neji’s very hard and very naked torso. She tried to wiggle away from it, but he had her locked in an embrace, his arms clamped securely around her stomach, and he easily brought her back to his side, fingers caressing the soft skin of her belly.

“Please be asleep, please be asleep.” She chanted to herself. He stilled again and she breathed a sigh of relief. Carefully this time, Tenten extracted herself from his arms and slowly slid her way out of the bed. She prayed Neji wouldn’t wake up while she was standing stark naked in his room, eyes frantically searching for her clothes. They were strewn _everywhere._

Where the hell were her panties? Tenten didn't have time to search every corner of the room to find where they had landed, so she made the decision to leave them. She quickly scrambled into her clothes, being as quiet as she could so as not to wake Neji from his sleep. Tenten grabbed her purse from the floor, shoved her feet into her sneakers without bothering to lace them up, and all but ran out the door.

“Morning. Have a good night?” Tenten almost jumped out of her skin at the unfamiliar voice, and she spun around to see a man standing behind the bar. He wore a mask that covered half of his face, and Tenten would have thought him a criminal if it wasn’t for the fact that he seemed quite comfortable in the vicinity of the bar. “Want some breakfast, sweetheart?” He sounded genuinely friendly and Tenten found that she wasn't at all offended by the sudden pet name from this stranger.

“N-no, thank you.” She shook her head at his offer and stumbled backwards, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn't safe yet; she needed to get as far away from here as possible in order to feel at ease. Tenten couldn’t risk Neji waking up. She had no idea how she would face him or what she would say.

The man smiled kindly at her, evidenced by the way his eyes crinkled pleasantly. “No worries. Can I make you some coffee while you wait for Neji? He's a pretty heavy sleeper, so he may not wake up for a while yet.”

Relief flooded her at his statement. As long as Neji didn't wake up while she was still here, Tenten would be able to escape without being more humiliated than she already was. Last night had been a mistake, made worse by the fact that she hadn't been drunk. Tenten had been completely sober the whole time—she was sober when she stepped into the bar, she was sober when she let him kiss her, and she was sober when she allowed him to carry her to his room, and she was sober when...

“I-I have to go.” She apologised to the kind man, her face no doubt revealing the turn her mind had taken.

Tenten ignored the man's requests for her to wait and bolted out the door, her mind a jumbled mess of embarrassment, regret and lingering desire.

Tenten knew she would never be able to forget that night, even if she wanted to.  
.

.

.  
“Alright ladies, show me what you've got.” Tenten called to the group of women in front of her. “Find a partner and go through the moves Lee and I just demonstrated for you. Remember that it's not about being stronger than your opponent. Rather, you're using their strength to your advantage. As always, start off slow and get a feel for the move first. Then, when you feel comfortable, let your partner come at you harder to see how you handle it. Ready, ladies?”

A chorus of “ready!” sounded in response and Tenten clapped her hands once, the sound signalling the start of practice.

Tenten slowly made her way around the room, keeping an eye on her students. She corrected their stance when needed and gave endless encouragement as the minutes progressed. 

It had been two weeks since she had spent the night with Neji, fleeing in the morning like the coward she was. She had spent the next few days looking over her shoulder, somehow both hoping and dreading that he might appear suddenly. Tenten knew she would never see him again—their original meeting had been pure coincidence—but some part of her longed to spend one more night with him. To feel things she had never felt before. To allow her just one more night to forget the past—the past that constantly replayed in the darkest parts of her mind, tormenting her.

“Tenten, can I see you for a moment?” Her boss and owner of Extreme Fitness, Might Guy, called to her from the sidelines, snapping her out of thoughts.

“Okay ladies,” Tenten clapped her hands again, ending the sparring session. “Let’s all take a five-minute break and when we come back, I’ll see for myself how far you’ve come with this new move.” She left her students to their devices and made her way to where Guy stood, waiting. “Yes, Sensei?”

Guy grinned at her. “Well done as always, Tenten. They are really starting to come out of their shells now, with your guidance.”

“Thank you. It usually takes them a few classes before they feel completely comfortable, but they are doing well. I can tell they’re having fun learning the techniques.” This was what Tenten wanted to do with her life; teach women how to defend themselves. Too often, women are overpowered and taken advantage of because they don’t know how to protect themselves from people who are bigger, stronger and faster than they are.

Tenten had come to Guy’s place of work two years ago after being declined by every other martial arts institute in the area. No one had seemed to want a woman trainer, nor did they want a class purely for women. But Guy had been different. He respected Tenten and her vision for the future, and he promised to give her a place in his dojo. It had taken a lot of work to get her self-defence class up and running, but she finally managed to gain five students. With time, her class became larger, and now, two years later, Tenten was teaching self-defence classes to groups of ten women at a time, three days a week. Tenten was proud of her achievement, small though it may seem to others, and she would forever be grateful for Guy’s encouragement and help throughout the past two years.

“I’ve been thinking, Tenten, and I want to advertise your classes so that more women are aware of the provision we offer. Would you like that?”

“Yes, Sensei! That would mean the world to me!” The opportunity to help more women was a gift Tenten would never tire of. “Thank you so much.” 

Guy clasped her shoulder, giving her his trademark thumbs-up with his free hand. “I knew you would say that. I have decided to add new photos to the website, as well as in the local newspapers. Therefore, a photographer will be here starting next week to capture you and your students in action. I wanted to inform you beforehand so you can give your students a heads up, in case some are not comfortable with being photographed. I think this will go a long way in showing how fun it can be to learn self-defence, as well as showing the important role it has in helping women protect themselves.”  


Tenten couldn’t believe it. What an opportunity this was! “Thank you, Sensei. Thank you! I’m sure my ladies will be thrilled to be a part of this.” She grinned at the man who had been a father-figure to her for the past two years, once again thankful to have him in her life.

“I’m glad you are happy, Tenten.” Guy didn’t know the reasons behind why Tenten had approached him two years ago, but she had been haunted, almost desperate for him to accept her proposal. He had never once regretted his decision to hire her and allow her to start a women’s self-defence class in what had been a man’s only dojo. Because of that, he had received frowns and ridicules from his counterparts, but Guy had never backed down. In a world ruled by men, he was glad to have this chance to allow women the opportunity to learn how to defend themselves from people who wished them harm.

“I need to go tell my students.” Tenten was practically bouncing on the spot, her grin threatening to split her face in two. She thanked him again before turning back to where the women were gathered, ready for the next part of their lesson. 

Tenten couldn’t wait for next week to arrive.


	4. Chapter 4

“I cannot wait for you to meet him on Monday, Tenten.” Rock Lee, Tenten’s friend and fellow worker at Extreme Fitness, exclaimed over dinner on Saturday night. “He was my roommate in college and is a gifted photographer.” 

Tenten smiled at the man before her; he was always so excited about everything. “I’m happy to hear that. I’m sure he will do a fine job.” She took another swig of her beer, washing down the chicken she had been eating.

Lee took a large gulp of his own beer, and Tenten winced at the amount left in the glass when he had finished. Lee had never been a good drinker, and Tenten had quickly learned to cut him off before he got to his second glass. “I invited him here tonight so the two of you could get acquainted before Monday, but he was busy.” 

“That’s okay. We’ll have plenty of time over the next two weeks to get to know each other.” 

Tenten and Lee had become fast friends after she started at Extreme Fitness. Lee was a little too excitable, but he was funny and sweet, and, like Guy, he didn’t pry into her personal life. The duo enjoyed sparring together during their down-time when the dojo was quiet, and he had even started teaching her some Kung-Fu moves.

“Will you be able to be my partner on Monday? I have a new move I want to teach my students while the photographer is here.” Tenten asked.

“Of course! I enjoy taking part in your lessons.”

The topic moved on to the crush Lee currently had on the woman from their local coffee shop. He updated her on their latest conversation and Tenten smiled at how cute he was when he spoke about her. He asked for help on what he should do—he didn’t know if and how to confess his feelings—and Tenten did her best to give him helpful advice. As they continued to talk, her mind wandered to Monday’s lesson, her excitement mounting om the knowledge that soon her classes will be promoted. She couldn’t wait for the opportunity to have new pupils!  
.

.

.  
“Tenten, the photographer will be here soon.” Guy called, poking his head out of his office to give her the heads up. “He wants to meet you before your students turn up.”

Tenten was in the corner, working on her stretches before the start of her lesson. She still had another fifteen minutes, but Tenten liked to make sure she was sufficiently warmed up in order to give her best for her students. “Okay. Just direct him to my corner when he arrives.” She replied, her head tucked against her knees as they lay flat against the ground in front of her.

She continued her stretches, making slow movements in order to avoid straining her muscles. She had her feet pressed together in front of her, knees making the shape of a diamond with her body stretched over the top, arms reaching long on the floor when she heard a camera shutter. She shot up, her wide eyes meeting a long, dark haired figure, his face obscured by the lens of his device. Tenten’s heart pounded in her chest, unable to believe the sight before her. Surely this couldn’t be happening. Out of all the photographers, why did it have to be _him?_

“Oh no.” Tenten hadn't realized she had said that out loud until Neji moved the camera from his face, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you that disappointed to see me?” He asked her, his beautiful lavender eyes holding her captive. “You ran out the morning after we made love multiple times-”

Tenten hissed at him to be quiet, blushing a dark shade of red. She glanced around frantically, checking to make sure no one was in hearing distance.

“-and going by your expression, you must have been hoping we wouldn't meet again. Am I correct?”

Tenten couldn't deal with this right now, not when her students would start arriving any moment. And how could he just say that so casually? Tenten sent him a glare so fierce she was surprised he didn’t wither under it. “Can we talk about that later, if we must? You're here to do a job right now, so please focus on that.”

“I will hold you to that.” He gave her a pointed stare to show that he was serious before he walked closer to where she was still seated. “I assume Guy mentioned that I will be here to observe your lessons for the next two weeks?”

Tenten scrambled to stand up so she wouldn’t have to look up at him, and she regretted it instantly. Her body rebelled against her rational side, wanting to move closer to him, to close the gap that was currently separating them. But that would be inappropriate and unprofessional to do in the workplace. _Not to mention completely and utterly stupid, Tenten._ She chided herself.

“Yes. He told me that the photographer will be taking shots of the different techniques throughout our lessons.” Right, she could do this. Keep it professional; talk about work. As long as she doesn't think about him or that night, she would be fine.

Neji nodded, all businesslike, and Tenten wondered if he was having similar thoughts to her. But of course he wouldn't be; that night wouldn't have meant anything to him. For all she knew, Tenten was probably just another notch on his belt.

“Today will be a trial run. After the lesson, you can look at the photos. If you are satisfied with them, we will move ahead with this arrangement. Is that fine with you, Tenten?” It was the first time Neji had called her by name. Tenten realized that, despite her having asked his name that night three weeks ago, she had never told him hers. He must have heard it from Guy.

“That's fine.” She tried to hold his gaze, not wanting to show him how flustered she was from his presence.

Her students filed in, excitement evident in their faces as they glanced at the man standing beside Tenten. They had been thrilled to hear they would have an opportunity to be featured on the dojo's website, and Tenten could tell they had put a little more effort than usual into their makeup and hair. Tenten, on the other hand, had her hair in its usual buns and her face free of makeup.

“How is everyone today, class?” She asked by way of introduction, as she did every lesson. A chorus of “good” echoed in response and she smiled at the women in front of her. “I would like to introduce you all to Neji. He will be our photographer for the next two weeks.”

The women voiced their greetings and Neji smiled in return. Tenten had to hide her shock at the sight of it. This smile was completely different to the smirks he normally sent her; it held warmth and softened his face considerably. It was beautiful.

“Good morning ladies.” As Neji introduced himself, telling the women his plans for the next couple of weeks, Tenten began to worry that half of the class would be too distracted by this attractive man to concentrate on the techniques Tenten had to teach them.

Neji continued talking, drawing Tenten out of her musings. “You will not even notice I am here. I will be in the background, so go about your lesson as you normally would. Please do not try and pose for the photos. I will be able to take the best shots when you are in action.” He turned to Tenten, indicating it was once again her turn to speak.

“Okay class. Let's do our best today.” Tenten clapped her hands, the lesson officially starting.  
.

.

.  
The session had gone smoothly for the most part, except for the times when Tenten had to remind herself to forget he was there, watching and documenting the whole session with his camera. She knew her face must have been giving her away—she could feel her cheeks burning on more than one occasion—but she tried to focus on the women and the moves she was teaching them. Lee had been her partner, as usual, while she initially taught them a new technique, and then she allowed the class to practice their skills on one another while she watched on, giving pointers and encouragement. It was just like any other class, and by the end of the session she had forgotten he was even there at all.

“Are you ready to take a look at the photos I captured?” Tenten jumped at hearing his voice and cursed herself for being so nervous around him.

She turned to face him, only to find that he was close. Too close. “Can you please maintain a professional distance?” She asked, taking a large step backwards.

“Why?” Neji’s eyes shone with amusement and he closed the distance once more, bridging the gap she had just made. “Do I make you nervous?”

“Of c-course not.” Too close, _too close._ Tenten spun on her heel, needing space between the two of them. She could hardly think when he was so near, and she needed to be in full control of her faculties around him—she refused to have a repeat of last time. Tenten sat down against the wall and held out her hand. “I can look through the photos while you get a drink or something, if you’d like.”

“I would rather stay.”

 _Of course you would._ She groaned inwardly. He walked over and sat down beside her, so close their shoulders and hips were touching. Tenten’s skin burned at the contact, the events of that night springing to her mind. She shot him a glare, her face and neck on fire. “Have you ever heard of personal space?”

“I need to be close enough to see the camera as well.” He passed her said device and she settled back against the wall, trying her hardest to block him out as she perused the photos. Tenten wished she could find a fault in his work so she could let him go, but his shots were flawless. Each photo captured the women’s feelings and movements perfectly. She turned to the next photo and her breath hitched, mouth opening at the sight.

It was her demonstrating a new technique to her students. Somehow, though, Neji had managed to capture the excitement in her eyes, the flush in her cheeks and the determined set of her jaw as she slammed Lee’s body into the ground. Tenten couldn’t take her eyes off the photo; it captured a beauty in her she didn’t even know she had.

Neji shifted beside her, his hand moving to rest on her knee. He chuckled as the movement caused her to stiffen. “Don’t look so nervous, Angel. I won’t do anything to you.” His eyes caught hers, and the look in his lavender gaze betrayed the innocence of his words. 

Tenten knew she didn’t look attractive; she had no makeup on, her hair was a mess after the lesson, and she was wearing the traditional dojo getup that did nothing to flatter her figure. But none of that seemed to matter to Neji. He looked at her with so much hunger that she wondered briefly if she was, in fact, naked after all. Stop it. She chided herself, feeling her body respond to his gaze. _This is neither the time nor the place for those kinds of thoughts. Besides, you already told yourself you wouldn’t get involved with him again!_ But oh, how she wanted to. Neji had this incredible ability of making her forget what was right and wrong; what she should be doing—or, in this case, should not be doing—and focus solely on what she wanted to do. 

Neji noticed the change in her demeanour, felt her press against him, and took the opportunity to lean closer, resting his mouth on hers so softly that they were barely touching.

“You said you wouldn’t do anything.” Tenten mumbled against his lips, her heart spiking at the light contact. But she didn’t retreat. Rather, she inwardly screamed for him to press closer, to kiss her with as much passion as he had the first day they had met.

“I won’t do anything, unless you want me to.” His voice was low, but he didn’t move from her lips. He didn’t press forward, but neither did he back away. He just stayed right where he was, driving her crazy with need. “Do you want me to do something, Tenten?”

 _Yes. A million times yes._ “No.”

He drew away just a fraction and an involuntary whimper escaped her. Neji smirked at the sound. “Are you sure?”

She paused before whispering, “No.”

Neji’s smirk widened against her lips and he pressed forward, finally giving her the contact she had been wanting. He leaned his body into hers, plucking his camera out of her hand and safely placing it on the wooden floor beside them. Then, he drew his arms around her and lifted her with ease until she was sitting in his lap. 

Oh, how Tenten had longed for this. For _him._ His lips trailed from her mouth to her neck, and he bit down on the sensitive skin. She groaned in response, her hips shifting closer to him involuntarily. He grinned wickedly against her skin before trailing kisses back to her mouth, where he enticed her tongue to play with his.

Her body soared from the feelings he was stimulating within her and she never wanted to come down. But she knew this was wrong. She didn’t deserve to experience these feelings. He made it possible for her to forget her shortcomings, and she didn’t deserve to forget, even for a moment, what she had done.

Tenten pushed against his chest, using all her willpower to remove herself from his lips and turn her head away from his intoxicating kisses. “I-I can’t do this.” Her breathing was ragged, and she clutched his shirt as she fought for control.

His smile was wicked, not yet understanding the implications of her words. “Sorry, I got a bit carried away. Your workplace isn’t the best location for doing what I have in mind.”

Tenten shook her head, scrambling out of his hold and onto her feet. “No. I mean _this._ Us. I just can’t. I’m sorry.” Tears sprung to her eyes. Every nerve ending in her body screamed at her to crawl back into his arms, to feel the strength and protection he afforded her. She took a deep breath, steeling her emotions into a professional mask before she allowed herself to look at him again. “The photos look great, Neji. I’m happy for you to come back and shoot the rest of the classes, but this,” she pointed between their bodies, “can’t happen again.”

She turned and fled without waiting for a response. The locker room was quiet, both Lee and Guy busy with a meeting in Guy’s office, and Tenten decided to hide there until Neji left. She knew her outburst would make their next encounter extremely awkward, but she would deal with that when the time came.

Tenten took her time changing and collecting her belongings, not bothering to wipe the silent tears that ran down her face.


	5. Chapter 5

Tenten was glad her next self-defence class wasn't until Thursday. It meant she had a couple of days to forget about their last encounter, and she focused on making sure her mind—and body—were in full control. Tenten needed to make sure she kept a professional attitude with him at all times.

She spent the next two days at the dojo, washing clothes and cleaning up after lessons. She also accompanied Lee and Guy during some of their lessons, having long since proved to their students that she was just as skilled as her male counterparts.

As the trio readied to leave late on Wednesday evening—after the class, the two men liked to practice sparring before heading home, and Tenten usually hung around to watch—Lee sidled up next to her, sporting a grin.

“Are you looking forward to your lesson tomorrow, Tenten? I told you Neji was great.” He said, unaware of the sick feeling he caused at the reminder of the next day’s activities.

“He’s a good photographer, I’ll give him that.” She replied, doing her best to keep her face neutral.

“Neji is the best! He’s won a ton of awards and he has photos in multiple galleries around town.”

Tenten had been doing well distracting herself from her thoughts of him and their inevitable meeting tomorrow, but Lee’s reminder sent her heart into overdrive again. She still had no idea what she planned on saying to him.

“Are you okay, Tenten? You look a little pale.” Lee stepped closer to her, his concerned face filling her vision. 

She smiled at him, waving off his concern. “I’m fine, Lee. Just tired.” She backed up a pace and pointed to the entrance of the dojo. “I’m going to head home and get ready for tomorrow’s lesson. Goodnight.”

“Have a good sleep, Tenten.”

Tenten said goodbye to Guy before exiting the building and stepping out onto the bustling evening street. Thanks to her clueless friend, Tenten was once again stressing over what she should say to Neji when she saw him tomorrow. _I need a drink,_ she decided, dialling her best friend's number.

"Do you have any idea what time it is, Tenten?" Temari growled through the phone, having clearly been disturbed.

"Sorry Em, but I really need a drink tonight, and I was hoping you'd accompany me." Tenten felt bad disturbing her friend, but she needed to vent, and Temari was the only person she could talk to. The blonde groaned and Tenten could hear the shuffling of bed sheets as she sat up, accompanied by a low murmured question from someone who was clearly not her. Tenten blushed. "Do you have company?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." The male spoke again and Temari shushed him. "Is everything okay, Ten? You do realize it's Wednesday, right?" She asked, her voice softening. It wasn't often Tenten asked out her for drinks, and never in the middle of a working week.

"I'm sorry, Temari. I didn't realize you were busy. Please ignore me and carry on."

"No way. You want to have a drink with me, so that's what we'll do." She turned her face away from the phone and spoke to her guest. "Shikamaru, babe, you're going home. And you're dropping me off at Tenten's place on the way. Tenten," she continued, speaking down the line again. "I'll be there in ten, okay?"

It was a good thing Tenten only lived around the corner from the dojo; she was already almost home. "Shikamaru?" Tenten asked incredulously. "As in, Shikamaru your manager from work?"

Temari laughed. "He may be the boss at work, but he quite likes being ordered around at home." Her voice had taken on a sensual lilt and Tenten blushed again at the implications of her words. "We're about to leave. I'll see you soon, Ten."

"Okay." Tenten hung up, finally having made it to her front door. She unlocked it and walked through, kicking off her shoes and letting her hair down as she made her way to the bathroom. She wanted a quick shower before Temari arrived, knowing that they would be up for hours talking.  
.

.

.  
"You had a one-night stand with someone? _You?_ And now you have to work with him temporarily?" Temari barked a laugh, unable to hide her amusement. "Wow Tenten, I'm impressed."

Tenten hid her face in her hands and groaned, a fresh wave of embarrassment overtaking her. "Don't laugh, Temari. This is serious!"

"What are you so afraid of, Ten?" The blonde asked, taking another sip of her beer.

Tenten shot her friend an incredulous look. "I practically ran out on him the last time I saw him, and I have to face him tomorrow. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do!"

Temari leant over to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She still found this whole situation extremely entertaining, but she knew teasing the poor brunette wasn't the way to go. "You want to know what to do? Nothing. Don't do anything, Ten."

"I need to do _something!"_ What kind of advice was that?

"No, you don't." Temari replied with a shake of her head. "Greet him as if he were any other worker. Don't bring up what happened last time and only acknowledge him to the extent that you need to. Be professional; he'll get the hint eventually. But Tenten," she added, leaning back and raising an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure you don't want anything to happen with him? I've never seen you this flustered over a guy before."

Tenten rolled her eyes in response. "That's because this sort of thing has never happened to me before! I can't allow anything to happen between the two of us."

"Why not? Would it be so wrong if you were to start a relationship with him, if that's what you both want?"

"How would I know if that's what he wants? He probably seduces women all the time, for all I know. And besides," Tenten averted her gaze, unable to look her friend in the eye. "Even if that _is_ what he wants—and that's a massive if—it wouldn't work out. Not with me."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Temari's eyes narrowed at Tenten. "This better not be because of—"

Tenten cut her off, knowing where she was heading. "It's not because of anything, Temari. Just leave it, will you?"

Temari glared. "No. When are you going to let go of the past and forgive yourself? It's been seven years already."

How was she supposed to let go of the past? Tenten deserved to wallow in her guilt for the rest of her life. Temari was the only person who knew of Tenten’s secret, having known each other their whole lives. They had grown up together in an orphanage along with Temari's two brothers and...

Tenten shook her head, dispelling her thoughts. She didn't want to cry, not here in front of Temari. She knew Tenten was still haunted by what happened, and Tenten did her best to not show her weakness so that Temari wouldn't worry.

"It's fine, Em. I'm fine. I just... don't think it would be a good idea to get involved with him, that's all."

Temari's eyes narrowed but she let it go. She didn't want to argue. "Do you like him?"

"No. Maybe? I don't know.” Tenten shrugged. “We've barely even had a proper conversation."

"That's because you've been too busy lusting after each other." Temari replied with a laugh, causing Tenten's cheeks to burn. "If you really don't want anything to happen with him, do as I said earlier. But I think there could be something between the two of you; I've never seen you this preoccupied by a guy before. Maybe you shouldn't write him off just yet."

"Forget it! I'm over this conversation. I want to go to bed." Tenten's emotions were all over the place and she suddenly felt exhausted.

"Fine, let's go to bed. But don't think I'll forget about this conversation just because you're chickening out on me now."

She knew Temari was true to her word and would continue to bring it up until Tenten was honest with her. She just hoped that her two weeks with Neji would go by so fast that she wouldn’t have time to deal with her complicated feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter. More interactions with Neji coming up soon. Temari is my favourite kunoichi (apart from Tenten ofc) and I always thought they would be good friends, so I couldn't resist making them besties in this story. Also, I also couldn't resist adding in some Shikatema since they're my second favourite ship. XD  
> Please R&R if you're enjoying the story so far.


	6. Chapter 6

To Tenten’s dismay, Neji was already at the dojo when she arrived the next morning. She was hoping for a little time to prepare her mind and she blanched when she saw him in Guy’s office, casually conversing with her two co-workers. Tenten inhaled deeply to calm herself. _You can do this._ She told herself. _Just treat him like a regular worker. I only need to see him five more times, then he will be out of my life forever._ She exhaled, feeling her heart calm down, and made her way to her locker to change into her dojo outfit.

He was standing by her wall, patiently waiting, when she walked over to him. She plastered a smile on her face when he noticed her advancing. “Hello, Neji. Are you ready for today’s lesson?” _Be. Professional._

Neji quirked an eyebrow at her but didn’t comment about the formal tone in her voice. “Yes. Will you be teaching a new move again today?”

“Not today. I was thinking of demonstrating some of the basic techniques that are taught to beginners.” _There, this isn’t so hard now, is it?_

“Tenten, I want to talk to you before your students arrive.” Neji took a step forward, his eyes serious.

“Is it work related?” Tenten replied, turning her head to avoid his gaze, which she had come to realize was her weak spot; as soon as he caught her with those lavender eyes of his, she was a goner.

He paused in his approach. “No. It’s about—”

“If it isn’t about work, then I’m not interested.” She interjected.

“Then, we can discuss it after you have finished work.” He replied. She risked a glance his way and saw that he was glaring at her, arms folded across his chest.

“Sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Neji moved until he was standing in front of her, forcing her to look at him. “What are you doing, Tenten?”

“I’m _trying_ to work, Neji.” She turned her back on him once more, but not before noticing a flash of something resembling hurt in his eyes. She pretended it didn’t bother her seeing it. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for my lesson.”  
.

.

.  
Tenten made sure to keep her distance from Neji for the next week, avoiding him whenever he tried to corner her after their lessons ended. Keeping it professional was harder than she thought it would be, since every time she saw him, she melted under his gaze. 

Friday of their second week arrived, bringing about the last self-defence class with Neji. Her Friday class was the last session of the day before the dojo closed, and usually Guy and Lee stayed to help her close the store. But the two of them had prior engagements and had to leave early, leaving Tenten alone with Neji and her students. Which also left her without a demonstration partner.

“It looks like Lee couldn’t make it to our session today, so could I ask for an assistant to help me demonstrate the new technique I’ve prepared?” Tenten asked her class.

“I will be your assistant.” Neji replied from his place by the wall. He had been leaning against it, his camera hanging casually around his neck as he waited for the session to get under way.

Tenten’s heart rate spiked, but she managed to keep her face neutral. “I can’t ask that of you. You’re busy with your camera.” 

Neji placed his camera onto the floor by the wall and stepped up to the group. “It’s fine. I am mainly taking photos of the students anyway. It is best for everyone to see clearly what they need to do.”

She knew he was right, which was why Lee normally helped her out instead of one of her pupils, but she still didn’t like it. Especially not for the move she had planned. She sighed, knowing it was her best option. “Fine, you can assist me. Step onto the mat and I’ll explain the move.”

He complied and Tenten fought the blush that wanted to cover her face as she moved to stand in front of him. Ignoring their proximity, she turned to the women. “For this move, the attacker will be standing behind you, holding you in a bear hug.” 

Neji did what she instructed, having noted during his two weeks that Lee performed each move as she explained it. Tenten couldn’t fight the blush this time, her body instantly heating at his touch, and she prayed that her pounding heart couldn’t be heard by anyone else.

She took a deep breath before explaining the next step. “Bend forward at the waist. This makes it harder for your attacker to pick you up, and it will give you a better angle to defend yourself.” She demonstrated, her bottom coming into contact with his hips. Tenten was sure everyone could see how red she was by now—she never reacted this way with Lee before. “Next,” her voice squeaked, and the class laughed. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Next, you will want to angle your elbows up one at a time and propel them into the side of the attackers face, like so.” Tenten mimicked her words without actually hitting Neji, then twisted fully and placed her hand on his shoulder, kicking him behind the knee and driving him into the mat. “Counterattacking with your elbows will catch him off guard, and keeping your position bent will help you to twist in his arms and shove him to the ground. You can either knee him in the groin or attack the back of his knee, as I did. “

Neji lay on the floor and Tenten extended a hand to help him up. He had been a good sport, so she should acknowledge him for that. His hand was warm in hers and he held on for a beat too long after he was standing, his eyes boring into hers. Tenten yanked her hand away and turned back to the class. “Okay, ladies; show me what you’ve got. Pair up and practice.”

Tenten quickly made her way to the other side of the room, as far away from Neji as she could, keeping an eye on her students while they practiced. Neji watched her retreat before collecting his camera from the ground. With the spotlight off her, Tenten took several deep breaths, her heart slowly calming down.

It was a good thing today was their last lesson, because Tenten wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep up her professional persona in front of him.  
.

.

.  
“That’s the end of the session, class.” Tenten informed her ladies. “Today was Neji’s last day with us, so please look forward to his final products in the next coming weeks.”

The women flocked around the dark-haired man, thanking him for his hard work—a couple of them even asked for his number, Tenten noticed, but he politely declined. They said their goodbyes to both he and Tenten before leaving, and Tenten was suddenly very nervous about being alone with him.

“You’re welcome to leave now too, Neji. I just need to pack up the mats before I can go.”

He had finished packing his camera away and was leaning against the wall, his eyes watching her movements. “I’ll wait and leave with you.”

Tenten glanced at him, wary at the meaning behind his words. “You really don’t have to.”

“I want to. Besides, I thought we could go through that move once more, so I can take shots of you demonstrating it now.”

Tenten turned to look at him fully, her brows furrowed in confusion. “I thought you didn’t need to get photos of me?”

Neji shrugged, unfazed. “I lied. Your form is a lot better than theirs, so it is better for me to take photos of you for your potential new students.” 

“It’s just the two of us, who are you expecting to take the photos?” Tenten felt like a deer in headlights, trapped with nowhere to go. She could barely deal with him being so close to her with a class full of people. How was she supposed to do this when it was just the two of them?

“I brought my camera stand.” He made his way to where his bag rested by the wall and started assembling it. He placed the camera on top and fiddled with the settings, making sure it was set to take burst shots on a timer. His eyes drifted back to Tenten and he raised a brow. “Are you coming? The camera is ready.”

Tenten forced herself to take deep, calming breaths and chanted _be professional_ to herself as she made her way back to the mat. Neji followed and took up his position behind her, already knowing the routine without needing to be reminded. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close to his chest. Tenten let out a squeak at the movement and immediately flushed. _Be. Professional._ She moved to start the sequence, but he squeezed her waist, stilling her. “Not yet. The timer is set for a minute.”

Her eyes bulged at his words. “A _minute?_ Why the hell did you set it for that long?”

“I didn’t know how long it would take for you to come to the mat.”

“Then why didn’t you just wait until I was on the mat before setting the timer?” Tenten fought the urge to glare over her shoulder at him. He was much too close for that to end well.

He bent his head forward, his lips grazing her ear, and she couldn’t stop the involuntary shudder that coursed through her as a result. “I wanted an excuse to hold you for longer.” 

Tenten couldn’t form a retort. She stood, frozen, while the seconds ticked away, Neji’s even breathing ruffling her hair. After what seemed like a lifetime, Neji finally whispered, “you can start.”

Tenten wasted no time. She bent forward at the waist, shoved her elbows up towards his face and twisted her body, slamming Neji into the mat with more force than was necessary. He grunted as he fell, not expecting the aggressive attack.

“Here.” She held her hand out for him. It was etiquette to help a sparring partner up after felling them, and Tenten was a stickler for martial arts etiquette. 

Neji grabbed her hand, but instead of standing up, he tugged her arm so she fell forward. He caught her in his arms and flipped them so that she was lying against the mat, his body pinning her down.

Tenten blushed to the tips of her ears, her eyes wide as she stared into his lavender ones. “What the hell are you doing, Neji?”

Neji narrowed his eyes at her in response. “I have been trying to talk to you for two weeks, but you have constantly ignored me. I will not let you go until you answer my questions. Why have you been avoiding me, Tenten?”

“Avoiding you? We’ve been working together Neji; I can’t avoid you.” She laughed, as if even the thought was ridiculous.

A low growl sounded from his throat and quietened. She had never heard that noise from him before. “Don’t play dumb, Tenten. You know what I mean.”

Tenten sighed in defeat. This wasn’t something she was keen to talk about, but she did owe him an explanation at least. “Fine. Can you let me up first, before I tell you?”

His glare heightened. “No.”

She wriggled under him. “But this is embarrassing.”

“I don’t care.” He pressed down onto her further, and she gasped at the feel of him. _This is not the time to get turned on, Tenten._

She groaned, closing her eyes in order to say what she had to say. “I don’t think this—us—is a good idea.”

“Yes, I remember you saying that last Monday before you ran away.”

Tenten winced. “You don’t have to make me sound like a coward.”

It was Neji’s turn sigh. He lifted his body off hers and sat down on the floor, his eyes never leaving hers. “I like you, Tenten. I would like to get to know you better. And I am certain that you feel the same. I do not understand why you are being so stubborn about this.”

He liked her? She wasn’t just a notch on his belt, but he actually wanted to get to know her better? Tenten’s heart soared for a for a brief moment before plummeting back to earth. She couldn’t. Tenten was scared that she could find happiness with Neji, and if she did that, what then? She would end up feeling more guilty because of that happiness. Her past would haunt her—even more so than it did now—and Tenten wouldn’t be able to handle that. 

She sat up slowly and faced him, her lips turned down into a frown. “I-I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Neji shook his head. “You keep saying that. I will not accept that answer unless you tell me why, Tenten?”

“I just… What if it doesn’t work out? We barely even know each other.” It was a weak excuse, but it was far better than telling him the ugly truth.

He reached out to grab her hands and he gave them a comforting squeeze. “We will not know where this will lead unless we try. The whole point of dating is to get to know one another.”

She knew she shouldn’t. She didn’t deserve to live a life of happiness—a life that she suspected Neji would be able to give her, if she allowed him to—but she wanted it. She wanted to be happy, to feel the kind of joy she hadn’t felt in years. She wanted to try, with him. _I’m sorry, Akari._ She thought, closing her eyes to plead her case. _Please forgive me for wanting this. I promise I’ll make it up to you for the rest of my life. I’ll take any punishment you have in store for me. Just please, I want to try to be happy again._

Tenten kept her eyes shut tight to hold back the tears threatening to spill. “Okay.” She said, her voice barely a whisper.

“Stop being so stubborn, Tenten, and—wait. What did you say?” His voice was surprised, hopeful, and Tenten realized for the second time that night that Neji was serious about this. About her.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, giving him a small smile. “Okay. I want to get to know you better, too.”

Neji smiled; a genuine smile she had only seen him show to her students. But this one was infinitely better—it was solely for her. He pushed off the floor and stood, helping her to her feet as he did so. “I will take you home.”

Tenten nodded, suddenly shy. Her guilt continued to niggle at her subconsciousness, but she tried to squash it down. She would worry about the ramifications of her decision later. For now, she just wanted to enjoy being in Neji’s presence without feeling guilty or ashamed.

After helping Tenten pack the mats away, Neji waited while she changed and collected her belongings. After locking up, they walked together towards Tenten’s small apartment. Neji reached over and grasped her hand, interlacing their fingers together as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Tenten blushed fiercely at the gesture—a silly thing, after everything they had already done together. 

They walked in silence until they reached her front door, and Tenten wondered if Neji was feeling just as nervous as she was. Her mind had blanked the whole way home, unable to think of something to say to the man beside her.

Tenten reached into her bag for her keys, her fingers trembling with nerves. She cleared her throat and sent him a quick glance. “Thank you for walking me home.”

Neji smiled in response. “You’re welcome.”

She unlocked the door and opened it, turning around to face him one last time. “Right. Well, goodnight Neji.”

She turned to head inside but he grabbed her hand, tugging her back to face him. “May I have your phone number?” He asked, phone already in his free hand. 

“Oh, of course! How else would we keep in touch?” She laughed at herself and pulled out her phone, inwardly cringing at her awkward behaviour. They exchanged numbers and she turned to leave again, only to get pulled back once more.

Neji tugged her into his chest before wrapping his arms around her waist. He was almost a head taller than her and he had to bend his neck slightly to plant a kiss to her lips. “I want to take you out tomorrow.” He murmured between kisses.

Tenten was feeling lightheaded from his lips, but she managed to comprehend his words. “Out? Like, on a date?”

“Yes, Angel. On a date.” He pulled back slightly and smirked at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re not planning on just taking me back to your place, are you?”

“Oh? I wasn’t aware that was what you wanted. I would be more than happy to oblige, if that is your wish. Although, if that is your wish, we could easily start here. Why wait for tomorrow?” His smirk was sinful and Tenten momentarily forgot how to breathe.

“N-no, I was only kidding. A date sounds perfect.”

Neji tugged her in for one more kiss, lasting much longer than the others. He pulled away and bid her goodnight, waiting until she was inside before turning to leave.

Tenten slumped against the door, her body on fire. _Maybe I should have let him stay over, after all._


	7. Chapter 7

The knock at her door sounded just before ten the next morning. Tenten's heart, which was already running in overtime, kick-started at the sound. She was already so nervous for her first date with Neji and they hadn't even begun yet. She ran downstairs, wiping her sweaty palms on the end of her dress in the vain attempt at calming her nerves. Tenten took a deep breath, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering wildly, and opened the door.

The sight of the man in front of her almost took Tenten's breath away, and she had to stifle a gasp that desperately tried to escape. Neji stood there, dressed in a simple white t-shirt and ripped jeans, looking very causal and very, very sexy. Their eyes locked for a second, that infuriating smirk tugging at the corner of his lips before he made a slow, almost sensual perusal of her body, his eyes lingering on the bottom of her mid-thigh length dress.

"I see you dressed up for me, Angel." Neji's eyes flashed as his slowly made his way up her form, smirk widening into an almost predatory grin.

She had, although she wouldn't admit it out loud. Tenten squirmed under his heated stare, her toes curling. The dress—the one dress she owned after Temari had practically forced her to buy it, insisting that every girl needed at least one outfit to make a guy go crazy—made her feel uncomfortable, but she wanted to make an effort for their first date. She had tied her long hair in two braids either side of her head, coming together to meet in the middle which she had twisted into a bun, instead of her usual boring buns she usually wore for work.

"It's a shame, since you look amazing, but I do not think that is the most appropriate outfit for today's date." He sighed dramatically, looking genuinely sad at the thought of her having to change.

Curiosity piqued, Tenten asked, "Where are we going?"

"I was planning on taking you to get something to eat before we head to an archery range."

Tenten's eyes widened. "You're taking me to an archery range on our first date?"

Neji's confidence slipped and he looked unsure for the first time since she had met him. "I remember you mentioning that you enjoy archery, and I wanted to take you somewhere I know you will have fun. If you do not like the idea, we can do something else."

"No, archery is perfect!" Tenten grinned, her nerves forgotten as excitement set in. "I just figured we would be doing normal first date activities, like going to see a movie or something." She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, directing him to the couch. "Wait here while I change."

She ran up the stairs, threw her dress over her head and pulled her legs into a pair of green cargo pants and a white cropped shirt. She shoved her feet into a pair of black converse and rushed back downstairs, grinning breathlessly at Neji as she pronounced herself ready. Neji took in her new outfit, his eyes dancing brightly as a smile touched his lips.

"Get ready to lose today, Neji. You have no chance of beating me in archery." Tenten said to him in passing, her competitive side coming to the fore. She used to play professionally, back when she was in high school, and, despite cutting back the last few years, she hadn't lost her edge. She made her way to the front door and waited until he was outside before following and locking up behind her.

"Who said it was going to be a competition?" He replied, eyebrow raised in question, but his eyes told her that he would gladly test her theory.

She rolled her eyes in response. "There is no way that it is _not_ going to be a competition, so I hope you're prepared."

"Shall we make a friendly wager, then?" He asked casually. They arrived at his car and he opened the door, closing it behind her before making his way to the driver's side.

"Okay," Tenten agreed. "How about the loser buys dinner."

He gave her a sidelong glance, starting the engine. "That's not a very fun bet."

Tenten blushed. "Yeah, but I thought you might think of something inappropriate and it was the first thing that popped into my head."

Neji laughed but didn't dispute the fact. "Fine, the loser will buy dinner." He put the car in drive and looked over at her. "Ready?"

She smiled in return, her nerves long forgotten. "Ready."

.

.

.

"Why are we here?" Tenten asked, staring at Hatake's Lightning Bar with wide eyes. A blush crept onto her face as the memory of her last visit here came to the fore.

They had spent all afternoon at the archery range, conversing easily as they took turns hitting the target. Neji confessed that he had dabbled in the sport in his earlier years, but Tenten still beat him easily. Instead of appearing annoyed at having been bested by a woman, he eyed her with admiration and respect—and something much more that sent heat straight to her core. She had worried, since archery wasn't really a woman's sport—and definitely not sexy—that he would find her proficiency at it unappealing, but each time she loosed the arrow and it hit dead centre on the target almost twenty meters away, his eyes darkened. At one point he licked his lips, eyes never leaving her form, and muttered, "so hot," under his breath just loud enough for her to hear. She flushed and loosed her arrow too wide, the worst shot she had made in years, and he chuckled when she turned her glare on him.

"To eat. You must be hungry after whooping my ass today." Neji glanced at her, a knowing smirk on his lips. "Why? Were you thinking about something inappropriate?"

"No! I just… this is a bar. Why are we getting food here?" Tenten was mortified that Neji could read her so well already.

Neji shrugged and tugged at her hand, pulling her along as he entered the bar. "Kakashi is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. Before sundown this place is more of an eatery than a bar."

The area wasn't as busy as Tenten had expected it to be, and most people were sitting at tables, casually chatting with meals in front of them instead of alcohol. "Huh. What a bizarre place."

"Just wait. In an hour it will be buzzing with people in the mood for a night out." He led her through the establishment until they reached the counter of the bar, where the silver haired man from last time was standing, his back to them. He turned around when he heard them approach and grinned.

"Neji, how was your date? And this must be the lucky lady. It's nice to see you again, sweetheart."

"Kakashi, this is Tenten. Tenten, meet Kakashi Hatake; owner of Hatake's Lightning Bar." Neji said by way of introduction. He sat down and indicated for her to do the same. "We'll have two of my usuals." He told the older man.

"It's nice to meet you, Kakashi. I'm sorry about last time." Tenten blushed again at the memory.

Kakashi waved her concern away. "Don't worry about it. But you should have seen Neji after he woke up. He was quite upset that just you and up and left without telling him."

"Shut it, old man. I was not upset." Tenten glanced at Neji and saw him glaring at the older gentleman, a faint blush marring his cheeks.

"Really? If I remember correctly, you—"

"Are you going to get us our food, or what?" Neji interjected, cutting off whatever Kakashi was going to say next. The silver haired man chuckled at his younger friend and left to start making them their food.

Tenten couldn't help but giggle at their interaction, and Neji glanced at her with a raised brow. "You two have such a nice relationship." She told him with a smile, slowly relaxing again.

His hand still held hers and it rested on his leg, his thumb running across her wrist absentmindedly. "Is that what you got out of our conversation?"

She smiled at him. "You must be pretty close if he's comfortable enough to tease you."

Neji grunted in affirmation. "I guess. He has helped me a lot, so I suppose we are somewhat close."

They eased into an easy conversation as they waited for their meals, Tenten asking Neji about the types of photos he prefers shooting. Time slipped by, and before long Kakashi was back with their food, breaking up their discussion with a smile and a quip that made Neji blush to the tips of his ears.

.

.

.

Dinner was amazing. Tenten was surprised to hear that Kakashi cooked all the food himself—it seemed as though he was constantly busy, and she wondered if he ever took a break. After they had finished their meals, Kakashi returned with a bottle of sake and two glasses. "On the house." He told them with an easy smile.

Tenten eyed the bottle of alcohol with apprehension. "I should probably get going now, Neji."

"Why the rush? The night is still young." Neji replied, already pouring the clear liquid into the two glasses. He passed one to her.

"That's what I'm afraid of." She mumbled, glancing around at the bar. The people who had come for a meal had disappeared and the ones ready for a night out were pouring in, some already on their second or third bottle of alcohol.

Even so, Tenten picked up the proffered glass and took a sip. The pair drank together, and Neji easily moved the conversation from topic to topic, distracting her from her thoughts of leaving. Hours passed and still they were on that same bottle of sake. Tenten was glad, because she didn't want her emotions to be inhibited by alcohol, not in the presence of this man who already had so much sway over her emotions.

Neji placed his hand on her knee and Tenten squeaked, unprepared. "Relax, Angel." He whispered, moving close to her ear. He pulled her stool closer to his, so they were inches apart, and caught the lobe in between his teeth.

Tenten jerked backwards, her cheeks flaming. "Neji! What are you doing?"

He just shrugged in response before downing his glass in one hit. "What does it look like?"

"I thought we agreed that we were going to take things slow and get to know each other first."

Tenten had brought the topic up at the archery range earlier in the day. She thought it best to take things slow, to make sure they were both on the same page before diving into a more intimate relationship. Neji had listened patiently to her reasoning, and he shrugged when she asked what he thought, but hadn't looked too keen on the idea.

Neji quirked a brow at her. "Is it possible to take things slow considering the way we started our relationship?"

"We weren't in a relationship then." Tenten wished she could get a handle on her internal heating system, because every time she thought back to that day her face caught on fire. "That was just a one-night stand."

"Does it count as a one-night stand if it leads to two people dating?" He countered.

Tenten managed to glare at him. "We said we were going to get to know each other better first." She repeated, as much a reminder for his ears as for hers.

"No, _you_ said that. I didn't say anything. And who says we can't do both simultaneously?" He countered, moving into her personal space once again. "We spent the day getting to know each other. Besides," he added, his hand slowly moving up her leg to rest on her thigh. "There's more than one way to get to know a person."

She tried to pull back from his advances, but her resolve was quickly crumbling, especially with those intoxicating eyes of his staring into hers. "But—"

He silenced her with a kiss. "Hush, Angel. I know you want this as much as I do."

"Yeah, but—" she realized what she had admitted instantly, as did he, going by the slow grin that crossed his features at her admission. "No, I meant—"

"Stop being so stubborn, Tenten." He purred, lips pressing just below her ear, sucking lightly where he knew she was most sensitive. Her hands dug into her legs and she gasped. He pulled back, staring into her eyes. "Come upstairs with me."

When he looked at her like that, there was no way Tenten could refuse. Neji's lavender eyes smouldered, his desire evident as he kept his eyes locked on hers. It made her weak to her knees and her body tingled just thinking about the pleasures he would give her.

Neji knew exactly when her resolve crumbled, and his grin turned victorious. He took her hand and stood up, turning to face the silver haired man where he stood behind the bar. "We're leaving, Kakashi. Add the meals to my tab." Then, he manoeuvred them through the ever-growing crowds and led her upstairs.

Tenten's heart beat in overdrive the whole way, knowing what was about to happen. She couldn't deny she wanted him, but with such little experience with men—and even less with sex—she worried that she wouldn't be a good partner.

Her worries faded away when he leaned over her naked body, his eyes filled with lust and awe as he took her in. Her hand skittered up his arm by her head and he groaned at the contact, lips crushing hers as his patience snapped. He was rough but not to the point of being painful, and when they came together, her biting his shoulder to keep from screaming while he groaned into her hair, rocking into her one last time before shuddering above her, she knew that he had enjoyed himself just as much as she had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who are following this story so far. Please leave a review to let me know what you think of it. It would make my day! :3


	8. Chapter 8

This time, when Tenten woke, she didn't panic. She felt Neji's presence beside her and snuggled closer to his warmth, remembering the way he made her feel while making love to her. He had been rough, just as he was their first time, but he had still managed to look at her and touch her in a way that made her feel special—as though she were the only person who mattered.

She turned around so she was facing him, careful not to wake him, and watched his chest rise and fall with every breath. His features were softer in sleep, no trace of his usual cockiness anywhere, and she traced every millimetre of his face with her eyes. She skimmed her fingers along the bridge of his nose before touching the corner of his lips—lips that had satisfied her very thoroughly just hours earlier.

His face twitched and he mumbled something in his sleep, pulling her closer, her breasts squashed against his chest. One of her legs were between his and she could feel him pressed against her thigh. Her body responded, heat pooling in her belly as her breathing became laboured. Tenten decided she needed to leave—it wasn't right that she was getting turned on while he was sleeping innocently next to her.

Tenten reached behind her back to peel his arms away from her body and scooted out of his grasp. He made a low noise in his throat and reached out for her. She watched as he settled back down, his breathing slowing again, before she gathered her clothes and headed to the bathroom.

She made her way downstairs, her stomach growling for food, and found Kakashi behind the bar, his day already started. He turned to face her with a grin. "Good morning. I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, very well." Tenten's face warmed, memories flooding back to her. "Do you ever take a break, Kakashi?" She asked, settling down on a bar stool in front of him. "You don't ever seem to be away from the bar."

Kakashi leant against the counter, his head propped in his hand. "The bar doesn't open until lunch time, so I have every morning off. I like getting the books done of a morning and making sure all the dishes are clean and dry before I go shopping for ingredients for the day."

Tenten snorted. "That doesn't answer my question. Do you ever have time off for _you?"_

"Sometimes. But I like this, so it doesn't really feel like work to me." He seemed surprised that she was curious but gave her a smile. He pushed away from the bar, walking over to the stove a little distance away. "Would you like some breakfast, sweetheart?"

Tenten's stomach growled in response and she blushed, despite knowing he wouldn't have heard. "Yes please. If it isn't too much trouble."

Her gaze skimmed over the bar as Kakashi cooked, taking in the photographs that covered a lot of the wall space. Most were scenery shots, and each one was more breathtaking than the last. "Did Neji take the photos in the bar?" She asked when he dropped a plate of bacon and eggs—shaped into a smiley face, much to Tenten's amusement—in front of her, along with a cup of coffee.

"Yes. Some were taken in various parts of the world, but most of them were shot locally." He eyed the array of images, taking them in as if seeing them for the first time. "They are all for sale, although most of his works are in galleries across town."

Tenten couldn't help but be awed. Neji must be very gifted indeed, and yet he decided to take on a job at her dojo. She wondered why—surely, he wouldn't have paid even half of what one of his photos would go for.

Another thought popped into her mind and she glanced at Kakashi. "Does Neji bring women home often?" She blushed at asking such an embarrassing question and focused on cutting her food into bite size pieces, avoiding the older man's gaze.

"Neji? Never." Tenten's head snapped up, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. Kakashi chuckled at her reaction. "Neji has been living above this bar for over three years now, and not once have I seen him bring a girl home."

_That's not to say he has never gone to a woman's place before,_ Tenten thought. But the knowledge that she was the first girl he had brought home caused a warm, fluttery feeling to spread through her. She realized Kakashi was still speaking and Tenten snapped out of her happy thoughts to listen.

"Neji's uncle, Hiashi Hyuga, has tried to sabotage his nephew multiple times, but Neji is resilient. He hasn't asked for money once since leaving the family—not that his uncle would give him any—and he has succeeded on his own back for the past three years. It makes me proud to have seen him grow so much." Tenten had gone still, her eyes wide as she stared at the older man. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Neji's last name is Hyuga?" She couldn't believe this. "As in, the richest family in the country, who own hotels and resorts in almost every country in the world, Hyuga?" Tenten thought her jaw would drop to the floor, she was so shocked.

Kakashi winced, realizing that he may have made a mistake. "You didn't know? I thought he would have said something to you by now."

Tenten shook her head, dumbfounded. "No. He hasn't said anything."

"I'm sure he would have told you soon. It's not like he would be worried about you wanting money—his uncle cut him off the day he left." He touched her shoulder comfortingly and sent her a reassuring smile.

Feet ran down the stairs and a voice shouted, "Kakashi!" before Neji came into view, looking dishevelled with his phone pressed to his ear. He spotted Tenten sitting calmly at the bar and paused, his phone dropping to the floor as he swore.

Kakashi chuckled from beside the brunette and lowered his head, whispering, "He must have thought you ran off on him again."

Tenten didn't know what to say to that, and she took in Neji's appearance as he came closer. He hadn't brushed his hair and it fell in tangled knots down his back. His shirt was untucked and rumpled, and he was wearing two different shoes. He stared at her, his eyes still a little frantic.

"Good morning, Neji." Tenten smiled, pretending as though he hadn't just flown downstairs like a bat out of hell.

Neji took a deep breath before letting it out in a deep sigh. He walked towards them, reaching a hand up to rub his temples. "Damnit, Tenten. You scared me."

Tenten sent Kakashi a confused look. "I'm sorry. Didn't you see my stuff still in your room?"

He took a seat by her side, looking stunning despite his dishevelment. "No, I did not. I was a bit… preoccupied upon waking up and seeing my bed empty."

Tenten thought it best not to laugh, but she found his flustered state extremely amusing. And sweet. "I'm sorry, Neji. I was just really hungry—" _and horny,_ she added internally, "—and Kakashi said that you take forever to wake up, so I decided to wander down early. Sorry."

"No, you don't need to apologize." His hands reached out to hold hers and her eyes flittered over his features again, taking him in as if for the first time. He was a Hyuga—part of one of the most influential and powerful families in the country. What was she supposed to do with that information? "Are you busy today?" He asked, eyes intent on her.

"I've got plans with a friend this afternoon, but I'm free this morning." She replied, shaking off her thoughts. Who cared if he was a Hyuga. Yes, it was a little intimidating to know, but it didn't mean Tenten had to change the way she acted with him. He was still Neji, after all. "I want to see your photographs." She blurted suddenly. "Kakashi told me these are all yours and that you have more in galleries around town and I would love to see them. Not today though." She added when Neji opened his mouth to speak. "I want more than just a morning to look at them."

The smile Neji sent her was as brilliant as it was rare, and her heart flipped at the knowledge that she had put it there. "Yes, of course."

Neji's smile turned wicked as he watched her and he pierced her with a look that sent arousal straight to her core. Tenten squeezed her thighs together, trying not to make it too obvious that he had just turned her on. "How about we go upstairs after breakfast and have a shower together before we start our day?" His eyes dropped to her lips, his intentions clearly clear as day in his darkened gaze, and Tenten squirmed in her seat, anticipation heating her body like wildfire.

.

.

.

The bar was crowded and loud, but Tenten and Lee managed to find a spot away from the throng of people where they could talk in relative peace. They hadn't had a chance to hang out outside of the dojo for weeks, so they decided it was about time they catch up. Tenten was also dying to ask him about news on the cute café worker he had seemed so smitten with last time.

Lee walked back from the bar with two beers in hand and sat one in front of her before sitting down. He grinned at her. "It is nice to be able to unwind after a long week."

"Yes, it is." Tenten agreed with a smile.

"I have not had the chance to ask you, but what did you think of Neji? It must have been an adjustment for you, having him watching in on your lessons. Have you seen any of the photos yet?"

Tenten fought the blush from her face. She didn't want to tell Lee about her relationship with Neji. Not yet, when it was still so new to them both. She shrugged and smiled at her friend. "It was strange at first, but my students got used to him pretty quickly. He sent me a couple of sample photos and they have turned out really well."

In truth, after their—very long and very satisfying—shower, Neji had pulled out his laptop and settled in behind her in bed to show her the photos he had decided to edit for the dojo's website. He had managed to capture the joy and exhilaration on her students faces with each shot and Tenten knew they would be a huge help in advertising her classes in the future.

Lee nodded. "I told you last time that Neji is a good photographer. He practically had a camera around his neck all through college. His uncle made him major in business, but he was able to take a photography class as well, which helped him get to where he is today. Before his uncle cut him off, Neji was able to travel to many parts of the world."

Something niggled at the back of Tenten's mind and she said, "Last time, you made it sound like he was just a friend from college. But the way you're speaking of him now, it makes me think that you still see each other."

"Oh, yes. We have always stayed in touch, ever since college. When Neji left home, I asked Gai for help. He has a good friend who owns a bar with a room upstairs, and he kindly let Neji stay there for cheap." Tenten couldn't believe it. Her dojo master knew Kakashi. She was amazed that she and Neji had been connected for so long without actually meeting. "By the way, Tenten. Did Neji end up asking you out?"

Tenten spat out the beer she was drinking, her eyes wide. "W-what? Why would he do that?" Did Lee know? Did Neji tell him? Lee gave her a strange look and handed her a napkin to wipe the beer dribbling down her chin.

"He has been wanting to meet you for a long time now, so when I mentioned that Gai was wanting a photographer to help you drum up students, he jumped at the chance."

"He _what?"_ Tenten thought she was shocked before, but that was nothing to what she was feeling now. "Neji knew me before he started coming to work?" Had Neji known her the first day they met on the street? And if he had, why hadn't he said anything to her?

Lee looked sheepish but held out his phone for her to see. The screensaver was of him, Gai and herself at one of their staff dinners. Going by her outfit in the photo—she didn't wear that shirt anymore—it was at least a year old. "He saw this photo one day when we were hanging out and wanted to know more about you, so I told him about your self-defence classes and your proficiency at taekwondo and aikido."

"You talked to him about me?" Why hadn't Neji said anything to her? That first day they had met, he had acted as if she was a complete stranger. Had he known she would be there, or had it really just been a coincidence?

"Yes. I am sorry, Tenten. Should I not have?" Lee looked contrite, his eyes taking in her stunned expression.

Tenten shook her head and sent him a smile. "No, it's fine. I'm not mad or anything—just a bit surprised. He didn't let on that he knew me while he was at the dojo."

Lee pursed his lips, thinking. "That's odd. I thought for sure he would ask you out after having met you. Maybe I was wrong, after all."

He wasn't wrong, but that wasn't something Tenten would tell him. Not yet, anyway.

She had received two shocks today about Neji. First, was that he was part of the very wealthy and very influential Hyuga family. And second, he had known her before they had officially met—perhaps even for quite a while, going by how old Lee's photo was. Tenten wasn't mad at Neji for keeping either topic a secret from her, but she did wonder why he hadn't told her. Did he think she would find it weird if she found out that he had asked about her to Lee before ever meeting her? Or did he think she would be too intimidated by him after finding out about his family background? Tenten didn't know what he had been thinking, but she was intent on finding out. Neji Hyuga had a lot of explaining to do.


	9. Chapter 9

Monday evening found Tenten laying in her bed, showered and ready to sleep as she listened to Neji talk about his day at work. He had been the sole photographer at a wedding that had lasted well into the evening. He had only just gotten home before calling her and she could hear him moving around while he prepared for bed.

"Neji, can I ask you something?" Despite wanting to know why he had kept secrets from her, Tenten was nervous. She didn't want Neji to get angry at her for prying, but she also felt she deserved to know the reasons why he hadn't told her.

"Of course. What is it, Tenten?"

Tenten heard the sounds of rustling sheets and pictured Neji climbing into bed as he awaited her question. She smiled, imagining him snuggled up in bed with the phone pressed to his ear. She wondered if he wore a shirt to bed on the nights she wasn't there. She had never seen him in pyjamas before and couldn't imagine him sleeping in anything but his birthday suit. She flushed, her mind drifting to images of him lying naked in bed.

"Tenten?"

She flushed, thankful that he wouldn't know where her mind had wandered off to. Tenten cleared her throat before asking, "Did you know about me before we met?"

Silence answered her from the other end of the phone. Even the sound of Neji's breathing had stopped, as though he was frozen in place.

"Neji?" Maybe they had been disconnected? Tenten pulled her phone away to check the screen but saw that she was still on the line with him. "Can you hear me?"

Finally, a deep sigh sounded through the phone. "Did Lee tell you?"

"He thought I already knew. He didn't know it was meant to be a secret."

More rustling sounded followed by another sigh. "It is not a secret. I was going to tell you, but I did not know how to without coming across as a creep."

It amused Tenten that he thought he could ever be creepy. A jerk, yes—she had thought him the biggest jerk in history when they first met. But never creepy. "How long have you known about me?"

"Almost a year. I'm sorry, Tenten. I did not mean to deceive you."

Tenten shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "I'm not mad, Neji. I'm just curious. Why didn't you say anything? You acted like a complete jerk the first time we met. Did you even once think that your attitude might make me dislike you?"

He chuckled, that low, sensual rumble that made her toes curl even through the phone. "No, I never once thought that. I knew you would not be able to resist my charms."

"Charms! Yeah, you were _real_ charming, Neji," Tenten laughed. "So, you were already interested in me that first day?"

"Yes," he admitted. "Lee and I were out for drinks one night and I noticed your picture on his phone. I thought you were beautiful, and I asked Lee about you. Over the next few months, he told me stories about you, and I decided that I wanted to meet you. Then, by coincidence, I saw you that day with the purse thief. I didn't even realize I was taking your picture until you turned towards me. The intense look in your eyes, coupled with the sun at your back, made you look like an avenging angel. I had planned to meet you through Lee like a respectable person, but then you stormed your way over to me, all fired up with adrenaline pumping through your veins, and I knew I would not be able to walk away."

Tenten was astounded by the story. He had been interested in her for almost a year? "Surely, you didn't know that I would come to you that night, though."

"I was very confident that you would." He sounded smug and Tenten rolled her eyes at his confidence. "I was planning to officially ask you out the next morning, but you had already run off when I woke up. I know that wasn't the best way of going about pursuing you, but you turned me on when you apprehended the purse thief, and then I felt you against me in the alley and I knew I couldn't resist you."

Now she was turned on. "Well, I _am_ irresistible." She said it as a joke, but he voiced his agreement with a low moan and heat zinged straight to her core in response. Changing the subject—this was not the time to be thinking about _that_ —she said, "I have one more question. But you don't need to answer this one if you're not comfortable with it."

His voice came through the phone, huskier than it had been a moment before, and Tenten wondered if he was feeling as affected as her. "I will tell you anything you wish to know, Angel."

"Are you really part of the Hyuga family?"

He sighed but didn't seem surprised by the question. "Lee again?"

"Kakashi. But he also thought I knew already." Tenten grimaced, knowing she was bringing up something he may not want to discuss. "I'm sorry, Neji. I don't mean to pry. You don't need to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, it does not make me uncomfortable. I just did not think they would both beat me to the punch." He paused and Tenten waited patiently. "My mother ran out on my father when I was a small child. My father, not being able to handle the pain of losing her, killed himself a couple of years later."

Tenten's hand flew to her open mouth, stifling a gasp. "I am so sorry, Neji. That must have been a very difficult time for you."

"I was young, so I did not fully comprehend what was happening. My uncle took me in and, since he had no son of his own, he groomed me with the hopes that I would take over the family business. I became interested in photography very early on and wanted to pursue that. We had a falling out when I refused to take over the business and I was forced to leave. I have been living above Kakashi's bar ever since."

Tenten had no idea that he had gone through so much. Not only had he lost his parents at such a young age, he was kicked out by the only family he had left. Neji was always so confident and cocky; if anyone else had told her his story, she wouldn't have believed them.

"Thank you for telling me, Neji," she said softly. The desire to reach through the phone and stroke his hair almost overwhelmed her. He didn't sound overly affected by his past, but Tenten knew he must be hurting. How could he not, when he had gone through all that? She yawned, suddenly exhausted from the array of emotions rolling through her.

He chuckled at the sound. "I think I should let you sleep."

"But I want to talk some more."

"I will call you tomorrow night. It is almost one in the morning, and you have to get up for work in a few hours."

Tenten pouted, but her eyelids grew heavy and she yawned again. "Fine. Goodnight, Neji."

His voice was soft and warm when he replied, "Goodnight, Tenten."

.

.

.

Weeks passed and Tenten could only meet Neji on the weekends due to their schedules. They often spent the whole weekend together, with Neji picking her up Saturday morning and dropping her home Sunday afternoon, lingering at her doorstep for as long as possible before finally parting ways.

Tenten was packing up after class one Friday evening when Lee called her name. She looked up to see him by the front doors of the dojo speaking with Neji, and her heart warmed at the sight of him. She walked over to them, a smile on her lips. "I'm almost finished, Neji. Just give me a few minutes."

She had been nervous, since she had never had a man in her home before—Lee and Guy didn't count—but she had finally asked Neji if he wanted to stay the night at her place. She planned to make him dinner and spend the evening watching a movie or just chilling out—something a little different from what they usually did at his place.

As she left them, she heard Lee expressing his glee at seeing the two of them dating. Neji had told him on one of their get-together evenings, and Lee had called her, drunk as hell, crying that she had kept it a secret from him.

Tenten hurried to get changed and retrieve her bag before meeting him back at the door. Neji smiled at her and held out his hand and she instinctively grabbed it, returning his smile with one of her own. They said their goodbyes to Lee and left, heading towards her small apartment.

"How was your day?" Neji asked, turning to look at her.

"It was good. I've had an influx of new students so I'm doing more classes now. It's a little exhausting, but I love it."

He squeezed her hand. "That's good. You are not too tired to make dinner? We can get takeaway if you prefer."

Tenten shook her head. "No, I want to make dinner. Don't get your hopes up too much, though. I'm nowhere near as good as Kakashi."

"I am sure I will love whatever you make for me. And if I do not, I will eat it anyway."

"Hey!" Tenten pushed him and he laughed, pulling her close and wrapping his arm around her waist. "Maybe I'll just feed you bad food on purpose," she grumbled, though a smile tugged at her lips. They reached her apartment and Tenten unlocked the door, letting them in. "Oh, right. Did you bring some clothes with you?"

"Only what I plan to wear tomorrow."

"I was thinking that you should bring a couple of outfits over, to keep here." Tenten blushed when he turned to look at her and she glanced away, unable to maintain eye contact. "I mean, you'll probably stay over every now and again, and I've got clothes and hygiene products at your place, so it's only right that you have some here. Don't you think?" She knew Neji was watching her, but she refused to face him, her whole body on fire with embarrassment. Did it sound like she was asking him to move in with her? God, she hoped he didn't get the wrong idea.

She could hear the smile in his voice when he replied, "I would like that."

Tenten breathed a sigh of relief. She met his eye with a grin. "Good. I'll clean out a drawer for you. And there's space in the bathroom cupboard for you as well." Tears pricked her eyes suddenly and Tenten stepped forward to wrap her arms around Neji's middle, hugging him tight. "Thank you, Neji."

He quirked a brow at her but returned the hug. "For what?"

"I'm just really happy." She reached up and placed a kiss to the side of his jaw. "Thank you for making me happy."

Neji bent down to kiss her, a smile on his lips. Before he could deepen the kiss—she knew he planned to when he pulled her closer to his body—she broke away and wriggled out of his grasp. "I'll give you a quick tour and then you can shower while I start dinner, okay?"

Tenten showed him around her small apartment, which consisted of an open floor plan containing the living room and kitchen, a short hallway that led to her bedroom and at the end of the hallway, the bathroom, which also doubled as her laundry room. Once she retrieved a towel, she left him to his devices and made her way to the kitchen to make a start on dinner.

She had just added her ingredients to the frypan when her phone rang. She smiled, seeing her best friend's name light up the screen. "Hi, Temari! This is a surprise."

"Hey to you too, stranger," her friend replied, sounding slightly miffed. "I haven't seen you in ages, girl. You've finished work, haven't you? Do you want to hang out?"

Tenten felt guilty for not having spent any time with Temari lately, but she had been so busy, both with work and with Neji. She groaned. "I'm sorry, Temari but I can't tonight. I'm busy."

"Busy? What are you doing?"

"I've uh… I have company." Tenten shut her eyes, waiting for the onslaught of questions she knew was coming her way.

"Company? As in male company?" Temari's grin was evident through the phone. "No way! Who is it? Do I know him?"

"Yes, you know him. Sort of. It's" —she took a deep breath— "Neji. You know, that guy I told you about last time."

She was expecting Temari's reaction, and she held the phone away from her ear as the blonde laughed for much longer than was necessary. "Are you serious? Ten, this is great! Are you two just knocking boots, or are you official?"

Tenten groaned. "Charming, as usual, Temari. We're official."

Temari wasn't a squealer, but then again, her best friend for life hadn't dated anyone in years—and never seriously, at that—so Tenten couldn't fault her for the high-pitched noise that left her mouth. "Seriously, Ten, that's great news. I am so happy for you."

"Thanks Em. I really like him."

"You better make time for me this weekend," Temari said. "We're going to find some sexy lingerie for your man."

Tenten blushed crimson at her words. "Temari, that's so embarrassing! I can't do that!"

Temari laughed. "Come on, Ten. Show off that gorgeous body of yours. I promise he will thank you for it in very delicious ways."

"Stop, Em! I'm hanging up!" Tenten wanted to stick her head in a bucket of ice, but she was afraid not even that would cool her down. She hung up, her friend's laugh cutting off mid-way, and fanned her face in a pathetic attempt to calm down.

Tenten managed to not burn the food despite her thoughts continually straying to very inappropriate scenarios, and by the time Neji finished in the bathroom dinner was on the table. He pulled her in for a kiss. "Thank you for dinner," he murmured against her lips.

"Thank me _after_ you taste it." She told him jokingly.

He hummed and that infuriatingly irresistible smirk touched his lips before he kissed her again. "I plan on doing that too."

 _I'm surrounded by sex-craved maniacs._ Tenten thought, her face burning anew when his words conjured up indecent images in her mind. _Me included._


	10. Chapter 10

_Class had just let out and Tenten walked beside her best friend as they made their way to the library. It had been a long day and Tenten was looking forward to heading back to the orphanage and sleeping until dinner, but she also didn't want to leave her friend all alone._

_"Come on, Akari. I promise I'll be as quiet as a mouse. I don't want you staying at the library by yourself."_

_Akari laughed, hooking her arm through the brunette's. "I'll be fine, Tenten. I promise. I need to finish this assignment tonight and you know I can't concentrate at the orphanage. Besides, others are staying late at the library."_

_"Yeah, but I don't care about the others. It'll be dark by the time you leave. I don't want you to walk home by yourself."_

_"I'll be_ fine. _Look, there's Temari and her brothers." She pointed to the three siblings walking towards them. "Go home with them. I'll be back later tonight."_

_Tenten hesitated. She didn't feel comfortable letting her friend walk home late at night by herself. "If you feel uncomfortable walking home by yourself, call me. Okay?"_

_"Okay, okay. Jeez, you worry too much." Akari gave her a quick hug. "I'll see you tonight."_

_._

_The phone call came just before midnight. Tenten's phone lit up with Akari's name and her heart finally settled at seeing it. "Akari, do you know what time it is? Where are you? Are you okay?"_

_"Are you Tenten?" The voice wasn't Akari's and Tenten's heart dropped._

_"Yes, who is this?"_

_"I'm afraid I have bad news. Akari is in the hospital right now. We cannot find her parents phone numbers to call, and you are in her phone as 'best friend', so we thought we would ask you."_

_Tenten didn't hear the lady's words after 'hospital'. Her head spun and she stumbled, legs giving out. She knew she should have stayed! "What happened?"_

_"She was attacked on her way home from school this evening."_

_Attacked. All because Tenten hadn't stayed with her. If she had, this wouldn't have happened. She choked out a sob but managed to stand, getting her shoes on as quickly as possible. "Tell me everything."_

_._

_"Please," Tenten was standing on the roof of the hospital, hands out imploringly as rain battered against her. She sobbed and took a step forward, eyes desperate. "Please, Akari. Come down._ Please _don't do this."_

_Akari was a sobbing mess, her hospital gown soaked through as she stood on the edge of the building. "You don't understand, Tenten. I can't get the image of what they did to me out of my head." Her face was bruised, her arm was broken, but Tenten knew those things weren't nearly as bad as the damage they had done to her spirit._

_Tenten's heart lurched at what she could only imagine her best friend had to go through. All because Tenten hadn't been there. "I know. And I am so, so sorry, Akari. But I promise it will get better. I can help you. Please, just get off the ledge." She took another step, hand outstretched._

_"Don't come any closer!" Akari screamed. She shook her head, hands clutching at her hair. "I can't get it out of my head! I want to forget!"_

_"I know you do." Tenten tried to make her voice sound soft and placating, but she was shaking and sobbing so much she didn't think it worked. "If you come down, we can go see someone who will help you forget. Okay? Just take my hand, and we'll go see them."_

_"No. I'm never going to forget." She turned pleading eyes onto Tenten then, shaking her head sadly. "I can't do this."_

_Tenten's heart stopped at the look her friend was giving her. "Yes, yes you can do this. It's just overwhelming right now because it's still fresh in your mind. I promise it will get easier. Akari, please come down. I can help you."_

_"I'm sorry, Tenten." She turned back to look over the edge of the building and Tenten ran, feet pounding against the wet concrete, trying to reach her before—_

.

Tenten woke with a scream, hand outstretched in front of her. Her head throbbed and tears were streaming down her cheeks as the remnants of the nightmare lingered in her mind. She pushed herself out of bed and stumbled to the toilet, heaving over the bowl until the last of the previous night's dinner was emptied. She made her way to the shower, turning it on so that only cold water poured out. She sat on the floor, fully clothed with her hands pressed to her face as great, heaving sobs racked her body, and allowed the cold water to wash over her.

It had been so long since Tenten had dreamed of that dark, horrific day seven years ago. She knew this nightmare was a reminder. She didn't deserve to be happy. She knew that. But lately, Tenten had become selfish. She enjoyed the time she spent with Neji. He made her laugh in a way that she hadn't been able to since Akari's death. With him, she had almost started to believe she could be happy. Properly, fully, completely happy. That nightmare had been a slap to the face, reminding her that she had no right to wish for that kind of pleasure.

After nearly an hour, Tenten managed to drag herself out of the shower. She crawled back into bed, unconcerned that her clothes were quickly soaking the sheets, and reached for her phone to check the time. It rang just as she picked it up, Neji's name flashing on the screen.

She stared at the name until it disappeared and continued staring until the screen turned black, her pale face and bloodshot eyes reflecting back at her. Tenten didn't want to talk to him, not now when she was a complete mess. And yet, at the same time, Neji was the only person Tenten wanted to confide in. She had never told anyone what had happened, but she wanted to risk everything and tell him about her dark past, despite knowing he would reject her for it. Why wouldn't he when she had, in essence, killed her friend?

Neji called again and the temptation to answer was almost too strong. Instead, Tenten turned her phone off and hid it in a drawer by her bed. She shivered, her wet clothes finally chilling her, and stood up to change. Images of that day flashed into her mind, made even more vivid with her recent dream, and Tenten broke down all over again. She crawled into bed, pulled the blankets over her head and wept.

She stayed there, crying in broken, uncontrolled sobs for the rest of the day.

.

.

.

The bar was crowded when Tenten arrived, eyes puffy and hair a mess from her day of crying. She hadn't told Neji she was coming. Part of her hoped he wouldn't show up tonight, while another part longed for him to hold her and take away the hurt.

"Hey there, sweetheart." Kakashi smiled at Tenten as she settled into a stool by the bar. He gave her a once-over, noting her exhaustion. "You look like you could use a drink."

Tenten didn't need to say anything; he poured her a scotch and handed it to her, giving her shoulder a quick pat before taking his hand away. "Thank you, Kakashi."

He frowned in concern as she downed the drink in one hit. Tenten indicated for him to fill it again and he obliged. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, his kind eyes watching her warily.

Tenten shook her head. "No."

"Has it got something to do with Neji? I heard he was trying to contact you today. Did you speak to him?"

She winced. "No, I didn't speak to him. And no, it has nothing to do with him." Tenten didn't want to talk. She just wanted to spend the evening drowning out the painful memories that wrapped her like a vice, suffocating her. She drained the glass again and held it out for Kakashi to refill.

Kakashi raised a brow at her. "You better take it easy, sweetheart, or you'll be passed out in no time."

Good. That was what she wanted. Tenten glared at the silver-haired man and shook the glass, impatient to have it filled again. Kakashi obliged with a sigh. He stood the bottle next to her and reluctantly moved away, needing to attend to other patrons.

.

.

.

Tenten had finished three-quarters of the bottle when she heard low murmurs above her. She had her head resting against her arms on the table, the scotch glass held protectively in her hand. Kakashi had tried to cut her off earlier but Tenten had yelled at him to leave her alone.

A hand rested on her shoulder and gave it a little shake. "Tenten, wake up."

Groaning, Tenten lifted her head and peered into Neji's beautiful lavender eyes. He was frowning at her and he moved forward to take the glass from her hand. Tenten ripped her arm away from him, spilling scotch onto the bench in the process, and lifted it to her lips. She gulped the liquid down before slamming the glass back onto the table, triumphant.

"Too ssslow," she slurred, lifting her hands to squish his face. She grinned when his features mushed together between her palms.

Neji patiently extracted her hands from his face and placed them on her lap, keeping a hold on them so they didn't wander again. He leaned in close to her, his frown deepening. "What are you doing, Tenten?"

He was so close; she wanted to kiss him. Tenten puckered her lips, extending her body forward to reach his. Neji shook his head and pulled back, denying her access. Tenten glared at him. "Neji, let me kiss you."

"Answer my question, Tenten. What are you doing?"

Tenten rolled her eyes dramatically and let out a loud groan. "What does it look like, silly Neji? I'm drinking."

"Why are you drinking so much?" he pressed, hands moving to her hips to still her sudden bouncing.

"Am I not allowed to drink, Neji?" Tenten loved the sound of his name on her lips. She hummed, repeating his name three more times before he put a finger to her lips to quieten her.

He sighed, removing his hand from her mouth to rub at his temple. "Of course you're allowed to drink. But you do not usually drink to this extent. Did something happen?"

Suddenly, Tenten felt the tears prick her eyes, blurring the features of the beautiful man before her. She reached out for him with a whimper, wanting nothing more than to be wrapped in his arms. Neji's eyes widened in alarm at seeing her tears and he moved forward, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck. Tenten buried her face in his chest and let out a loud, heart-wrenching sob.

.

.

.

Neji patted her back and whispered comforting words into her hair. He sent a glare towards Kakashi, angry that he had allowed Tenten to drink so much. His heart twisted in his chest at hearing her pained sobs. Neji didn't know what caused them or what he could do to help her, so he stayed there, bending over her awkwardly as he rubbed soothing circles on her back.

After she had cried herself to sleep, Neji lifted her into his arms, cradling her softly against his chest. "Thank you for calling me, Kakashi." He said to the older man with a nod.

"Of course. I'm sorry for not stopping her sooner—it just seemed as though she needed it tonight." Kakashi threw a concerned glance towards the sleeping woman before looking at Neji once more.

"Did she… did she tell you anything?" Neji didn't want to admit it, but the thought of Tenten confiding in another man made his heart constrict painfully.

Kakashi shook his head. "No. Whatever made her so upset, she didn't want to talk about it."

Relief flooded him and he scolded himself—now was not the time to be jealous. "Thank you, Kakashi. I'm going to take her to bed. I will fix up her tab tomorrow."

Neji weaved his way through the crowded bar and up the stairs, doing his best not to jostle her too much. He placed her onto the bed and untangled her arms from around his neck. Tenten moaned in her sleep, arms reaching out blindly to find him again.

"Soon, Angel," he murmured. Despite the situation, a small smile found its way onto his lips at her actions. This is what he wanted; for Tenten to depend on him. To need him. She was so used to being independent and she rarely asked him for help, so seeing her wanting him to comfort her made him happy.

Neji moved to her feet, untying her laces and slipping off her shoes. He found a clean shirt of his and started stripping off her sweat-soaked blouse. She groaned softly and tried to roll away, not appreciating being disturbed. "You will thank me in the morning," he promised her.

Off came her bra, then her pants, before Neji slipped his large shirt over her body. He left her there, snoring softly with her face squished into a pillow, and made quick work of his bedtime routine. After he was showered, Neji grabbed a packet of aspirin and a bottle of water from the fridge and placed them on the table beside Tenten's head. Then, he slipped into bed beside her, pulling her close to him so her head was resting against his chest.

Tenten stirred, feeling the warmth of his body against hers, holding her tight. "Neji."

He stroked her hair and planted a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Hm?"

"I'm sorry." Her voice was barely a whisper and he knew she would be asleep again soon.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry for, Angel." He pulled away to search her eyes, longing to express his feelings for her by his gaze alone.

She yawned, shooting hot air into his face and closed her eyes again. "I don't deserve to be happy," she breathed, so soft that Neji wondered if he had imagined it. He stilled, the words echoing in his mind as unease filled him. What the hell did that mean?


	11. Chapter 11

Tenten's head was throbbing. She groaned, eyes squeezed shut against the pain. It had been a very long time since she had last drunk that much, and she now remembered why. Hangovers were the worst.

Her eyes felt heavy when she tried opening them, and she recalled the hours she had spent crying the day before. Pain stabbed at her chest when she remembered the reason behind her tears.

"Morning, Angel," a deep, husky voice whispered. Tenten finally managed to open her eyes, only to see Neji lying on his side, his head propped against his hand as his elbow rested against the pillow. He was watching her, his eyes warm, though she detected a hint of hesitation in his gaze.

Tenten covered her mouth when he leaned down for a kiss. "Not until I've brushed my teeth," she mumbled through her fingers. There was no way she was letting Neji near her mouth when she could still taste alcohol on herself.

Neji leaned back with a smirk. Tenten tried to ignore the way his naked torso seemed to shine in the morning sunlight, but she couldn't stop staring. He chuckled and dropped a kiss to the top of her head before leaning over to grab something on her bedside table.

"First, have this," he told her, handing her a bottle of water and a packet of aspirin. "It will help with your headache."

"Thank you." Tenten was touched by his thoughtfulness. It was such a small thing, yet Tenten's heart warmed at the gesture. She popped two of the aspirin out of their packet and swallowed them along with a mouthful of water. When she was done, Neji plucked the bottle from her fingers and grabbed her hand, pulling out of bed. "Where are we going, Neji?"

He didn't look back at her as he replied, "Bathroom."

Tenten laughed. "I know where it is. I can get there myself." Still, he didn't let go.

Neji stood at her back, his free hand pulling her in close as they brushed their teeth together. Tenten watched him in the mirror and giggled at the sight they made. Neji quirked a brow at her but a smile touched his lips and he pulled her even closer to him, his chin resting atop her head.

"What are your plans today, Neji?" Tenten asked as they made their way back to the bedroom. She didn't want to go anywhere. She wasn't ready to join the outside world just yet.

He smirked and grabbed her around the waist, picking her up and turning them around to place her on the bed. "I'm sure I can think of something." His mouth landed on hers, gently caressing her lips until they opened and allowed him entry. Tenten sighed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

Neji slid his arms down her sides, fingers caressing the bare skin of her belly before tugging his shirt over her head. His touches were soft and hypnotising, and Tenten fell into a sea of sensation. His lips trailed to her neck and she sighed against him, back arching in pleasure.

"I'm going to take things slow today, Angel," he murmured against her ear, his hot breath sending a shiver down her spine. Fingers caressed her body with delicate strokes, and she wondered, somewhere in the back of her mind, if this was Neji's way of consoling her after her day yesterday.

His mouth sucked on the sensitive spot on her neck and she moaned at the contact, clutching him tighter, wanting to draw him in so that no space separated them. His hands ran down her sides, tickling her, before resting on her hips. Tenten opened herself up to him when he caught her lips again, letting him explore her mouth as much as he desired. Feeling his thumbs trace lazy circles along her hips made her want to purr and Tenten wondered how something so simple could feel so heavenly.

Slowly—almost painfully slow—Neji moved down her body, his lips leaving open-mouthed kisses along her chest and stomach before reaching where he desired to be. He looked up at her, lying on his bed, flushed and panting as she stared back with eyes full of desire. Maintaining eye contact, he lay his palm over her hot entrance and rubbed, watching as her breaths became more ragged and her eyes shut. A small, almost inaudible moan escaped her lips. When he inserted a finger, Tenten's head snapped back against the bed and she pleaded for him to hurry up.

Tenten felt the first touch of his tongue and she writhed, eyes popping open to stare at him down the length of her body. He held her gaze, his tongue darting out to lap lazily at her juices. He alternated between licking her slit and sucking on her clit, all while keeping a steady pumping motion with his finger. Each time Tenten felt herself coming close to a release, he eased back, denying her. She groaned after the third time, barely resisting the urge to grab his head and pull him closer. He leaned back with a smirk, knowing exactly what she wanted.

"Neji," she pleaded, her voice coming out in a breathy moan. "Please."

"Tell me what you want, Tenten," was his husky reply. His eyes glinted, daring her.

"I want—" She stopped when she felt his breath caress her most sensitive part.

"Hm?" He pressed a kiss against her thigh. "What was that?"

She groaned, blushing beet red as she replied, "I want you to make me come!"

"Your wish is my command, Angel," he murmured. She felt his lips curl into a smile before his mouth covered her clit, sucking it into his mouth. His teeth grazed the sensitive nub and she almost screamed at the contact. Her hands flew to his hair and pushed him further into her.

Despite her frantic movements, Neji didn't speed up his ministrations. He inserted a second finger inside her, slowly pumping them in and out while he continued to suck on her clit. Tenten thrashed, the pressure within her unfurling until she finally snapped, shuddering against him.

Neji climbed over her body, watching as her breathing eventually slowed, her eyes glassy as she stared back at him. "Don't get too comfortable, Angel. I'm just getting started."

.

.

.

"I didn't realize you could be so gentle, Neji," Tenten teased, her head resting on his chest. They had spent some time entwined together, and they now lay under the sheets, sated and happy.

Neji chuckled, the sound reverberating through her body. "I was unaware you preferred it rough. We can go again if you aren't satisfied."

Tenten blushed at his boldness. "That's not what I meant. You just haven't been that gentle before and it took me by surprise."

"I am a man of many mysteries, Tenten." His hands crept towards her thighs and he lifted her so she was straddling him. He murmured, "I didn't hear you say no to round two," and grinned wickedly at her, his fingers caressing her backside leisurely.

She smiled at him in return, her long hair tickling his chest as she bent down to kiss him. "As appealing as that sounds, I'm pretty hungry. I didn't eat anything yesterday on account of my—" she cringed, "—mental breakdown."

"Later, then," he promised with a hot kiss. He pulled away, eyebrows drawn in concern, and once again Tenten was surprised by him. She constantly saw sides of him that she never expected, and she had to remind herself he was so much more than that cocky, arrogant man she had met that first day. "Do you wish to talk about it?"

Tenten slid off his chest and sat beside him, pulling the sheets to her neck, suddenly feeling nervous and vulnerable. "I'm scared to tell you," she whispered.

Neji sat up to face her, frowning. "Why would telling me frighten you?"

"I'm afraid…" Tenten dropped her eyes from his, unable to look at him. "I'm afraid it will change how you see me."

Neji stroked her face and lifted her chin so that she had no choice but to look at him. "Nothing you tell me will change my opinion of you, Tenten."

She wasn't sure she believed that. Tenten hated herself, so why would he be any different? She took a deep breath before starting her story. "It happened seven years ago. I was a senior in high school and I was planning on staying back to help my friend with an assignment that was due the next day, but she encouraged me to go home." she shuddered before whispering, "I should have stayed."

Tenten paused, closed her eyes and took another breath. "She didn't make it to the orphanage that night. I got a call late in the evening and immediately went to the hospital. The doctor told me that she was attacked and raped on her way home." She refused to look at Neji, and instead stared at her hands sitting limply in her lap through glassy eyes. "I stayed with her in the hospital. I tried to help her, but I could tell that she was broken.

"She convinced me to go and eat, since I had been by her side all day. When I came back, her room was empty. I searched everywhere for her, and eventually found her on the roof of the hospital. I tried to talk her down. I pleaded and begged her to come back to me. I promised her that she would be okay, that things would get easier for her. But it wasn't enough. She… she…" Tenten choked on her words as a sob ripped through her. Neji, who had been quietly listening, bundled her into his arms.

"I couldn't save her!" She wailed into his chest. "If I had been there with her—if I had just walked home with her—she would have been okay. I could have protected her."

Neji stroked her hair, his voice quiet when he said, "You cannot think like that, Angel. What happened to her could have happened to you too if you had been there."

"I couldn't even protect her on the roof! I should have tried harder. If I had done something more—if I wasn't so goddamn useless—I could have saved her."

Tenten stayed in his arms until her sobs subsided. She began to feel his hands as they stroked over her hair and back and she pushed away from him, frowning. "Why are you trying to comfort me? You should be repulsed right now! If it weren't for me, my best friend would still be alive. It's my fault she's dead."

Neji grasped the sides of her face, forcing her to look into his sorrow-filled eyes. "Tenten, what happened was a horrible tragedy. I am very sorry that it happened, and I am sorry that you have had to live with that awful memory. But, none of it was your fault."

She tried to shake him off, unable to believe his words. It was her fault. "But I—"

"Nothing was your fault." He said it with such finality, such conviction, that Tenten wanted to believe him. "You did not know what was going to happen to her that night. And you did not kill her, either. The men who attacked her are at fault. Not you."

Tenten's lip quivered, her eyes filling again with tears. "But I couldn't help her. I was supposed to be her best friend, but I was useless."

His hand reached out and he grabbed the back of her head, pulling her close to rest against his chest again. "You did help her, Angel. You stayed with her in the hospital. I am certain your presence soothed her."

"Don't lie to me, Neji. You can't make me feel better about this." She tried to push away from him, hating the kind words he was uttering, but he didn't let her go. She gave up and allowed her body to go limp. "How am I supposed to go on living like nothing happened? How am I supposed to smile and laugh and be happy, knowing that my best friend's life was cut short because I couldn't save her? I don't deserve to."

She felt his chest expand as he took a deep breath, his hands never ceasing their comforting touches against her hair. "Tenten, you are beating yourself up over something you had no control over. You did nothing wrong. And your friend would not like seeing you blame yourself for something that was not your fault."

She pushed away from his body to look him in the eyes. "I appreciate you saying that, Neji. But it doesn't make me feel better. I've been living with this guilt for so long, I don't think it will ever go away. No matter what anyone says, it is my fault I couldn't save her."

"I suppose I will just have to continue reminding you until you are ready to accept it, then," he replied, leaning over to kiss her nose.

They stayed like that, with Tenten curled up in Neji's lap while he stroked her hair and back, for a long time. Tenten swiped stray tears off her face, her mind playing back Neji's words to her. She could admit that they sounded logical, but she still didn't believe them. For years she had replayed what happened on the hospital roof in her mind, thinking of what else she should have done to save Akari. She would always hate herself for not doing more.

After some time, her stomach rumbled and Neji looked down at her, chuckling. "I think we should get some food into you."

He helped her stand and they dressed before making their way downstairs to where Kakashi was already working. Neji turned to Tenten, taking in her profile as she walked beside him. "Would you like to go anywhere after breakfast?"

Tenten didn't feel up to going out. She still felt exhausted from the previous day and all she wanted to do was relax. And maybe a little bit extra. She blushed, her hand gripping Neji's a little tighter as she met his gaze. "Is it okay if we spend the day in your room?"

The eyes staring back at her were full of warmth and he smiled, pulling her closer so she was tucked against his side. "That sounds perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be taking a short break from this story while I finish my SasuSaku fic. I'm losing motivation and want to put it on pause for now. But once I've got my other fic finished I'll come back to this one.


End file.
